Hindustan Times ·
Odisha man beaten to death; set afire after fight at girlfriend’s home: Police
Police were examining whether the murder was pre-planned, including how the petrol was procured and used to burn the body
A 28-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death and his body set on fire after an altercation at the home of a woman he was in a relationship with in Babarakot in Odisha’s Deogarh district late on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday.
Police said Silu Ray was allegedly assaulted when he went to the woman’s home between 10.45pm and 11pm. His body was taken to a verandah, where petrol was allegedly poured over it and set ablaze.
Neighbours noticed the blaze and alerted the fire services. Fire personnel reached the spot, doused the flames and informed the police.
Police have detained the woman and her parents for questioning. They were trying to ascertain the sequence of events that led to Ray’s death. Police were examining whether the incident was pre-planned, including how the petrol was procured and used.
Locals alleged that Ray occasionally created disturbances after having alcohol, which had led to frequent quarrels between him and the woman’s family.
Ray’s father, Mohan Ray, alleged that his son was called as part of a plan and attacked. “We received a phone call around 11.30pm. When we reached the spot, we found that they had beaten him and burnt him. Her entire family is involved in the incident,” he alleged.
Police said Silu Ray and the woman reportedly knew each other for around two years.
- Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More