Man Arrested for Murder of Elderly Woman in Cuttack Robbery

Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police on Tuesday arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the brutal murder of a 75-year-old woman during a robbery in Ananda Bazar under Baranga police limits in Cuttack district.

The accused, identified as Jamuna Rout of Gandarpur village under Mancheswar Police Station in Khordha district, allegedly killed the elderly woman, Basanti Behera, during a break-in at her residence on the night of May 20.

Basanti Behera, who lived alone, was discovered dead in a pool of blood by her son, Bibhuti Bhusan Behera, at around 7:45 am the next morning. The horrifying scene prompted immediate police intervention, and a case was registered at Baranga Police Station.

Senior officials, including the ACP of Zone-IV and the IIC of Baranga Police Station, visited the crime scene with the scientific team and dog squad. A blood-stained spade, suspected to be the murder weapon, was recovered from the location.

Utilizing advanced surveillance tools, the Cyber Cell of Cuttack Urban Police District, along with support from AI-based CCTV analysis and ground verification, traced and apprehended the accused on May 27. Rout was identified through footage from Bhubaneswar Smart City and local CCTV cameras.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. He revealed that he had been monitoring the victim’s daily routine and targeted her home, assuming it would be an easy target. He broke into the house at night and, when confronted by the victim, attacked her with a sharp weapon.

Police recovered several stolen items from Rout, including household utensils, a mobile phone belonging to the deceased, the bicycle used during the crime, and the clothes worn at the time of the incident.

“The accused has a prior criminal record related to property offenses and has previously served jail time. This angle is also under investigation,” said Cuttack DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.

The accused was produced in court on Tuesday, and further investigation is currently underway.