Bhubaneswar, Nov 5: An 80-year-old lone woman, Kunjalata Nanda—wife of late DFO Hadibandhu Nanda—was brutally murdered by her caretaker, Balabhadra Maharana, in the Buddha Nagar area under Laxmisagar police limits.

At around 9:00 PM, Balabhadra disabled the home's CCTV system, bound Kunjalata’s hands, and stuffed cotton in her mouth. Believing the family of well-settled professionals possessed hidden riches, he ransacked the house for five hours. However, since the family kept valuables in a bank locker, he found only minor jewelry and ₹50,000–₹60,000 kept for emergencies.

Enraged by the meager loot and her pleas, Balabhadra fatally stabbed her in the head with a sharp scissor, stripped her of her remaining jewelry, and fled on a scooter at 2:10 AM, as caught on a neighbor's camera.

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Balabhadra and his wife had been hired for household chores, but after his wife left a month prior, Kunjalata generously shared her own home-cooked meals with him—even serving him dinner hours before the murder.

Police have also placed Bidyadhar, the acquaintance who recommended Balabhadra, under the scanner after he was seen wiping away bloodstains at the scene. Meanwhile, grieving relatives slammed local authorities, alleging the police's Senior Citizen Cell never checked on the vulnerable woman living alone.