Puri Man Arrested in Jharkhand for Allegedly Killing Mother, Burying Body in Kitchen

Puri, October 20: A 40-year-old man accused of murdering his mother and burying her body beneath the kitchen floor of their rented house in Puri has been arrested in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, after a 57-day manhunt, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Madan Gajanan Dalei, was reportedly working at a snack shop when a team from Kumbharapada police station apprehended him.

The case came to light on August 24 after the landlord, Manorama Sahoo, alerted police about a foul smell emanating from a locked room. During an inspection, police noticed freshly cemented flooring in the kitchen and recovered the body of the accused’s mother, Annapurna Dalei, buried underneath.

Investigators suspect the woman died on August 20 and that her son subsequently concealed the body beneath the floor. CCTV footage, mobile phone tracking and call records helped police trace the accused after searches across multiple states.

According to Puri SP Prateek Singh, the accused allegedly told his sister that their mother was unwell without informing her of the death. Police said he was brought to Puri for further investigation and allegedly confessed during questioning.

The circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remain under investigation.