BHUBANESWAR: Police on Tuesday revealed that the man they arrested from here in connection with bashing in a 50-year-old woman's head with a stone and then raping her 18-year-old daughter in
Bhadrak's Dhamnagar, had first killed the woman's husband.
The murder of the woman who bled to death after her head was crushed with a grinding stone, came to light on Monday. Her daughter was found tied in the house, and her husband had been missing. The body of the husband was found near a canal on the outskirts of the state capital on Tuesday.
Police also said that based on prima facie evidence, it appears that the 18-year-old girl has been raped.
Police confirmed that the motive behind her mother's murder was burglary and not revenge as claimed by the accused earlier.
Gopinath Mohanty alias Babua (33), who had been close to the deceased, had told media persons that he killed the couple to avenge the 'torture' of his parents in the hands of the couple when he was a child - a story police are calling false.
Police said the deceased husband had received Rs 2 lakh six days ago from the in-laws of his elder daughter, who died under mysterious circumstances in 2016 at her in-laws' house. A case of dowry related death had been registered. "The money the deceased husband had received was part of the negotiation between the two families to close the case. Gopinath was not only aware of it but also helped the deceased husband in the negotiation," said Bhadrak superintendent of police, B Gangadhar.
Gopinath has confessed to killing the couple and also revealed that he had plans to kill the girl, but police disagree with his 'revenge' spin.
"There was no motive other than burglary. The accused knew that the family had Rs 2 lakh, so he hatched a plan to drink with the husband. After getting drunk, he tied the man with a rope and pushed him down a culvert. After confirming that the man had died, he headed to his home and killed his wife there," said Bhadrak superintendent of police B Gangadhar.
Gangadhar said Gopinath had plans to kill the daughter as well, to eliminate evidence. "The sudden appearance of some villagers near the house resulted in him abandoning his plans. There are tell-tale signs that the girl has been raped. Her clothes have stains of semen. We have sent them for forensic examination," the SP added.
Police said they found gold and silver ornaments and cash in Gopinath's possession.
