A 25-year-old man, K Ganesh Patra, has been arrested in Odisha’s Ganjam district for allegedly killing his 23-year-old wife, K Basanti Patra, and their two-year-old daughter, Debasmita, by releasing a venomous snake into their room. The incident occurred over a month-and-a-half ago in Adheigaon village in the Kabisurya Nagar police station area. Ganesh Patra, who was experiencing marital disputes, allegedly obtained the snake from a snake charmer, falsely claiming it would be used for religious purposes.
On October 6, he brought a cobra in a plastic jar and released it into the room where his wife and daughter were sleeping. The next morning, both were found dead from snake bites, while the accused slept in another room. Initially registered as an unnatural death case, the police shifted the investigation to murder after the victim’s father lodged an FIR. Ganjam Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena confirmed the arrest and ongoing investigation.
