Bhubaneswar, Ap 23: Three police officials have been issued notices over alleged negligence in the probe into the murder of Aparna Priyadarshini, the first wife of constable Deepak Rout.
Aparna, a Revenue Inspector, was reportedly killed by Rout in March 2022, allegedly so he could claim insurance money. At the time, Rout had claimed that she died in a road accident in the Khuntuni area of Cuttack district. The case was reopened after Rout allegedly killed his second wife, Subhamitra Sahu, a traffic constable, in September last year, reportedly to claim ₹1 crore in insurance.
Cuttack (Rural) Superintendent of Police Vinit Agrawal has issued notices to former SDPO Satyabrata Lenka, Khuntuni police station IIC Bhabani Shankar Khuntia, and investigating officer Bikash Sethi for alleged dereliction of duty in handling Aparna’s case.
Lenka is now posted as SDPO at Borigumma in Koraput, Khuntia with the Special Task Force of the Crime Branch, and Sethi as IIC of Tangi police in Cuttack. The three officials have been asked to submit their replies within 15 days. They are accused of gross negligence for initially classifying Aparna’s death as an accident.
Recently, the Cuttack Rural Police filed a 300-page chargesheet against Rout in connection with Aparna’s death in the Athagarh SDJM Court. He has been charged under multiple sections of the IPC, including Section 302 (murder), 498A (cruelty by husband), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence).
