2 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Apr 9, 2026 11:04 AM IST
When 62-year-old Bhubaneswar native Debaraj Sarangi allegedly visited his married daughter to hand over some jewellery and cash at 11:00 am, she thought little of it. That is, until she heard the news that her mother had been murdered, and Sarangi had turned himself in.
Police said Sarangi killed his 55-year-old wife Priyambada by slitting her throat following an argument and later surrendered at the Airfield Police Station in the city. A senior officer said that around 11:45 am, the accused arrived at the police station and confessed to the crime, after which a probe was initiated.
Sources said the couple had been married for nearly 30 years and lived in a posh locality in Bhubaneswar. Sarangi, a senior accountant in the Accountant General’s office, had retired two years ago.
Preliminary investigation allegedly indicated that an argument escalated, and in a fit of rage, Sarangi assaulted his wife before slitting her throat with a kitchen knife.
“After committing the crime, he met his daughter and handed over some jewellery and cash, and subsequently surrendered before the police,” said a police officer.
The probe also allegedly revealed that the accused had been depressed for the past few months and suffered from health issues — including high blood pressure, diabetes and liver ailments. “He is suspected to have killed his wife due to mental stress, which made him suddenly violent,” police sources said.
Following his confession, Sarangi was taken into police custody and produced before a court. Based on the daughter’s complaint, police registered a murder case.
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Police said they have seized the murder weapon and two mobile phones from the crime scene, and further investigation is underway.
