Berhampur: A man who murdered his mother-in-law in Chennai around 28 years ago was arrested in Berhampur, informed police.
The accused has been identified as Harihara Pattjoshi from Berhampur.
Pattjoshi, who was married to Indira from Chennai, had allegedly murdered his mother-in-law Rama at their Nangnallur residence in Chennai. He had also attacked his wife and brother-in-law and both of them were grievously injured. The incident took place on 9.8.1995. After the murder, Pattjoshi escaped from Chennai and was absconding.
Pattjoshi was working at a printing press in an advertisement company in Chennai and Indira was working as a telemarketing executive in another company in Chennai. They met due to work related assignment and fell in love and got married in 1994. Few months after marriage, the couple separated due to domestic violence. The wife filed for divorce in local court. This enraged Pattjoshi and attacked his wife, mother-in-law and brother in law. While the mother in law died on 9.8.1995 his wife and brother in law were severely injured. A murder case was registered at Adambakkam police station in Chennai on the same day.
Since 1995 , the accused was hiding in various locations throughout Odisha and also in Surat. Initially he was hiding in a friend’s house in Aska where he met another woman and married her in 2001. Later he worked in a masala factory in Berhampur, later as a sales man in a Bajaj insurance company in Kendrapara, later as a manager in chit fund company in Berhampur. He had shifted many houses.
Multiple police teams have camped and conducted raid at Berhampur and nearby places over the last 28 years but he could not be arrested.
Around one week back a four member police team from Chennai , Adambakkam police station under SI Kannan along with HC Balamurugan , PC Edwin Deepak, PC Manivannan reached Gosaninuagaon PS of Berhampur police district.
A team was formed under Gosaninuagaon IIC, Inspector Smruti consisting of several police personnel.
The police team worked in close coordination and watched all suspected locations. After a grueling one week, the police team were able to find the accused person hiding in a location under Gosaninuagaon PS area. He was apprehended while he was trying to escape again near the railway station, said Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M.