The incident occurred in Ranitrai Road under the Devari police station, leaving the entire area in fear.
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Attackers Entered House at Midnight
Police investigation revealed that on the night of October 2, two local criminals — Golu alias Mahendra Kumar Sahu (25) and Mahendra Sahu (28) — arrived at the woman’s house. They knocked on the door, and when the elderly woman came out, they together covered her mouth and strangled her. She died within minutes.
Afterwards, the two looted cash of ₹24,000, gold and silver jewelry, PAN card, ATM card, and other valuables from the house.
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Hand Cut to Steal Bangle
According to the police, when the silver bangle on the woman’s right hand could not be removed, the accused cut her wrist with a sickle to take it. Even after the murder and robbery, they remained undeterred — smoking beedis near the body and later covering it with the same mat.
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Crime Discovered Three Days Later
The crime was discovered after the woman did not come out of her house for three consecutive days, raising suspicion among neighbors. On the evening of October 6, Sulochana Bai Sahu knocked on the door but received no response, prompting villagers to intervene. When the door was broken open, Devbati Mahar’s body was found in a blood-soaked state.
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Accused Caught Through CCTV and Informants
Police examined CCTV footage from around the village and acted on tips from informants to take the two suspects into custody. Initially, they denied involvement in the murder, but after being shown the footage and pieces of beedi found at the scene, they confessed.
Balod SP Yogesh Patel stated that both accused are habitual offenders and have been jailed previously in several cases.
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Fear and Anger in the Village
The brutal murder has caused widespread outrage in Ranitrai village. Villagers said that the accused have long been involved in theft and violence in the area. They are demanding strict punishment from the police to prevent such incidents in the future.
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Legal Action and Charges
The police have registered a case against the accused under sections 311(4), 332, 103(a), and 61(2) of the BNS for robbery and murder. SDOP Devansh Singh Rathore stated that the identification process of the recovered jewelry and cash is ongoing.