A 25-year-old man from Odisha’s Ganjam district has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and two-year-old daughter by releasing a venomous snake into their room. The incident occurred over a month-and-a-half ago in Adheigaon village in the Kabisurya Nagar police station area, around 60 km from Berhampur.
The accused, identified as K Ganesh Patra, was having a marital dispute with his wife, 23-year-old K Basanti Patra. They got married in 2020 and had a two-year-old daughter named Debasmita.
According to the police, the accused had deceived a snake charmer, claiming that he needed the snake for religious purposes. On October 6, he brought a cobra in a plastic jar and set it free in the room where his wife and daughter were sleeping. The next morning, both were found dead due to snake bites, while the accused was sleeping in another room.
Initially, the police registered a case of unnatural death. However, after the victim’s father lodged a First Information Report (FIR) accusing the accused of murder, the police interrogated him. Ganjam Superintendent of Police, Jagmohan Meena, stated that the accused was arrested a month after the incident due to delays in gathering evidence. During the interrogation, the accused initially denied the allegations, but later admitted to the crime, claiming that the snake may have entered the room on its own. The investigation is ongoing.
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