Woman Arrested in Berhampur for Planned Murder of Elderly Man

Berhampur: A 57-year-old woman was arrested in connection with the planned murder of an elderly man in Berhampur.

The accused has been identified as Sudeshna Jena, wife of the late Sibaram Jena from Ambrutulu, Sorada, Ganjam, and currently residing at Subashnagar 1st Lane, Berhampur.

Sudeshna was arrested by Baidyanathpur Police for allegedly brutal murder of 72-year-old Harihara Sahu at his residence in Subashnagar 1st Lane.

According to the informant, Madhusmita Sahu, daughter of the deceased, the incident occurred on the night of May 28, 2025. Sudeshna Jena, a widow and tenant living on the ground floor of Harihara Sahu’s house, informed Madhusmita early the next morning that her father was seriously injured and had been admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, Madhusmita found her father with severe burn injuries. He was later referred to SCB Medical College, Cuttack, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Before his death, Harihara Sahu revealed to his daughter that an individual had sprinkled kerosene on him and set him ablaze at around 2-3 AM. Police investigation pointed to Sudeshna Jena as the perpetrator.

It was revealed that Sudeshna and Harihara had been in a relationship for 4-5 years. However, tensions arose as Harihara allegedly prevented Sudeshna from visiting her daughter in Hyderabad and coerced her into fulfilling his demands. Additionally, Sudeshna reportedly had intentions of acquiring Harihara’s property, as he was a retired government Revenue Inspector with significant assets, informed Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M through a press note.

In a calculated move, Sudeshna allegedly poured kerosene on Harihara while he slept, set him on fire, and attempted to destroy evidence by discarding his mobile phone in a well in the courtyard and burning the kerosene bottle. To mislead authorities, she claimed two unknown individuals had entered the house and committed the crime, while pretending to assist neighbors in rescuing the victim. Sudeshna was arrested following the investigation, the Berhampur SP added.