4 of family get life term for dowry killing

JAJPUR: The Additional District Judge (ADJ) of Jajpur on Friday handed out life  imprisonment to four members of a family for killing a woman for dowry. The ADJ, Prasanta Kumar Nayak found the four family members guilty of the murder of Kusumalata Sahoo in November 2014.

The convicted  are Kusumalata’s husband Akhaya Kumar Pal, father-in-law Laxmidhar Pal, mother-in-law Subhadra Pal and sister-in-law Priyatama Pal. Ajay Kumar Pal, another accused in the case and Kusumalata’s brother-in-law, had died in jail during trial of the case in July 2018. Akhaya of Solapata village under Panikoili police limits had married Kusumalata in June 2014. 

Soon after, in-laws started torturing her physically as well as mentally for dowry. Later, the in-laws of Kusumalata killed her after which Akhaya called up Kusumalata’s brother Abhaya and informed him that she had gone missing on November 14, 2014.

The following day, her parents were informed that her body was found in a pond near the village. Her family members rushed to the village and intimated local police.

Later, Abhaya filed a written complaint with Panikoili police alleging that Kusumalata’s in-laws had killed her for dowry. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested the five.