In a chilling act of brutality, a man allegedly burnt his first wife to death in Mahlarbahal village, Deogarh. The victim, Laxmi Sahu, had been married to Yashwant Sahu for 26 years.
The relationship soured after the couple remained childless, leading Yashwant to marry a second time three years ago.
Following years of "unspeakable torture," Laxmi had briefly fled to her parents' house. However, the horror culminated last Sunday night when locals spotted a fire in a nearby farmland. On Monday morning, her half-burnt body was discovered near the village pond.
Based on a complaint by the victim's brother, Murali Sahu, police have detained Yashwant on murder charges. Under the direction of SP Anil Kumar Mishra, a scientific team from Angul joined local officers to process the crime scene.
The body has been sent for a post-mortem as the investigation into this inhuman crime continues.