The Supreme Court stated, “Taking into consideration the fact that the petitioner does not seem to be in a position to influence the witnesses and that she has to look after her minor child, however, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations, we are inclined to release her on bail.”
New Delhi, March,31 – The Supreme Court has granted bail to a woman who was accused of murdering her husband and dumping his body in a suitcase in Odisha’s Khurda district.
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A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh noted that the woman had already spent over two years in custody. They also considered that she has a minor child who needs parental care.
The court observed that out of 37 witnesses, only 15 had been examined so far, and the trial was expected to take more time.
The Supreme Court stated, “Taking into consideration the fact that the petitioner does not seem to be in a position to influence the witnesses and that she has to look after her minor child, however, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the allegations, we are inclined to release her on bail.”
The court ordered that she be released upon furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court. It also directed her to cooperate with the trial and appear before the trial court whenever required.
Background
The woman had approached the Supreme Court after the Odisha High Court rejected her bail plea on December 20, 2024.
She, along with two accomplices, was arrested on January 23, 2023, for allegedly murdering her husband. One of the accomplices was her cousin.
The victim, her husband, was reportedly an alcoholic and a history-sheeter with several cases of theft registered against him. The police revealed that he had pending dacoity cases in Nayagarh district.
According to the police, the man often beat his wife after getting drunk. On January 20, 2023, he allegedly thrashed her again, which enraged her. Following the assault, she called her friend and cousin, and the three planned the murder.
The next day, on January 21, 2023, her friend bought a suitcase from Chandapur in Nayagarh district and later went to her house with her cousin. That night, the two men drank alcohol with the woman’s husband until he fell asleep. After that, they strangled him to death.
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They then stuffed his body inside the suitcase, transported it on a bike to a secluded forest area under the Nachuni Police Station jurisdiction, and dumped it there.
Later, some locals discovered the suitcase, leading to the police investigation.
Now that the Supreme Court has granted bail, the woman must continue appearing in court for the trial proceedings.
