Brahmapur, May 7: The body of the four-month-pregnant woman, who was hacked to death while staging a dharna outside her boyfriend’s house demanding marital rights, remains unclaimed at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, adding another tragic dimension to the sensational murder that has sparked outrage across Odisha.
The deceased, identified as 21-year-old Pooja Swain, was allegedly murdered at Kharida village under Hinjili police limits in Ganjam district. With no parents or close relatives reportedly alive, no family member has yet arrived to claim her body. Police officials said that if nobody comes forward, the administration will conduct her final rites.
Meanwhile, police have produced the accused minor brother of Pooja’s boyfriend and his associate before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in Chhatrapur in connection with the murder case. Both were later sent to a juvenile correctional home. Police have also seized the axe allegedly used in the crime.
According to police, Pooja, a resident of Agasti Nuagaon under Ganjam police station limits, had been in a relationship with Jintu alias Chintu Gouda of Kharida village for the past two-and-a-half years. The two reportedly met through Instagram and later eloped. They subsequently got married at a Shiva temple in Delang in Puri district.
However, trouble began after Chintu allegedly abandoned Pooja in Brahmapur on April 18 on the pretext of taking her to his village. Following the incident, Pooja lodged a complaint at Hinjili police station. Alleging lack of adequate support from police, she again approached the Brahmapur Women’s Police Station on May 3.
Demanding recognition as Chintu’s wife, Pooja had been staging a dharna on the veranda of his house since Monday evening in the presence of some local villagers. On Tuesday, police personnel from Hinjili and Brahmapur Women’s Police Station reportedly visited the spot and attempted to counsel her.
However, shortly after the police left, Chintu’s younger brother allegedly attacked Pooja with a sharp axe, killing her on the spot. The brutal murder of the pregnant woman has triggered widespread public outrage across the state.
Police rescued Pooja’s two-year-old daughter after the incident and handed the child over to Childline in Brahmapur on Wednesday. Investigation into the case is continuing, police said.
