Cuttack double murder: House maid and husband arrested; Know how extra judicial confession and CDR analysis helped police to crack the case after six years

Cuttack: In a major breakthrough, the Commissionerate Police cracked the sensational double murder case occurred at Cuttack in 2019 and arrested the house maid and husband. The arrested persons have been identified as Basanti Samad and her husband Santosh aka Eman Samad. According to police, the family members of the elderly deceased couple- Srinath Samal and Bidulata Samal- never stopped pursuing the progress of the investigation. Because of that, there were continuous efforts by police to detect the case. Besides, present Commissionerate Police (CP) Dev Dutta Singh attended the family members in grievance when he was posted in state police headquarters. So, after joining as CP, he took this case on priority. Case was still pending with the old Investigating officer (IO) ACP SN Muduli. He was transferred out from Cuttack UPD earlier. So, it was ensured that the case is transferred to new IO Manoj Satpathy, ACP, DIB, Cuttack UPD, who is presently posted in Cuttack UPD. Clear instruction was given to give special focus to the case. That’s how, police started investigation of this case from start. A team was formed to investigate the case under the charge of Manoj Satpathy, ACP, DIB, Cuttack UPD. Team consisted of Inspector Asmita Mishra, DIB; Inspector Santoshini Behera, DCRB; SI Sunil Yadav; Havildar Tofan Behera; C/125 Sajan Dibyadarshan Jena and C/1013 Firoz Rout. Special squad was also entrusted to gather the human and technical intelligence. The investigating team first studied the whole case records in detail. At the start of the investigation, detailed discussion was made with the family members of the deceased persons. On the basis of the discussion, a list of suspects was made. Then, call data records (CDR) of all suspects in the case were again verified. More than 25 call data records were verified. In the CDR analysis, investigating team found one very interesting fact that there was no phone call by house maid-Basanti Samad on the day of occurrence. Date of occurrence was 12.12.2019. There was gap of about 40 hours in the call records of Basanti from 11th afternoon to 13th morning. Prima facia, it was suspicious. So, investigating team started to put their focus on the family of Basanti Samad. Investigating team cultivated sources near the house of Basanti and among the friends of the husband of Basanti-Santosh @ Eman Samad.

Extra-judicial confession:

• Investigating team laid a trap over Santosh. His friends were cultivated as police sources. Then, through his friends, a fake information was discussed that there is a lonely house in a reputed colony where there is huge money and only one old couple is staying.
• Fake servant of that house was also planted to make the story credible. Hearing this, Santosh proposed a plan to murder that old couple and take away all the money. This was shocking for police. Such a small stimulus/ information was floated and Santosh planned up-to murder of two lives.
• Sources engaged him multiple times for planning about the crime. During conversation, he also started boasting about the crime he did 5 years back in Beleswar about the murder of the senior citizen couple and that no one could apprehend him till today. This extra judicial confession is important evidence against him.

Findings during the Interrogation (Motive):

• Later, he was apprehended and interrogated. During interrogation, he confessed his guilt and revealed that Basant used to work as the maid of the deceased couple for 3-4 years. He further revealed that deceased Srinath Samal used to misbehave with his wife Basanti.
• During one incident, when Basanti asked for some money as hand-loan, he misbehaved with her. Then, Santosh also went to ask for some money but again, he allegedly misbehaved with Santosh and did not give the money. Allegedly, foul language was also used by deceased Srinath Samal.
• As per Santosh, deceased Bidulata Samal also used to misbehave with them. Foul language was the major source of the discontentment among them. So, there was anger in them against the old couple and there was sense of perceived injustice in their mind.
• Finally, Santosh and Basanti planned to take revenge against them. They planned it very meticulously.

Meticulous planning & Incident:

• Santosh, at that time, did not have any mobile phone. Basanti was having a mobile phone. They were in Sahajabahal, Sundargarh district on 11th December, 2019. Then, Basanti switched off her mobile.
• On 11.12.2019 evening, they started their journey towards Cuttack. They reached Cuttack on the morning of 12.12.2019. On the night of 12.12.2019, while Basanti stayed at her house, Santosh went to the house of the deceased couple.
• He entered into the house through the front main door as he was known to the deceased couple. At that time, electricity line was not there. Just after entering into the house, Santosh started assaulting the deceased Srinath Samal first. Seeing this, deceased Smt Bidulata Samal came running to save her husband holding a sharp “panika” (vegetable cutter). Then, Santosh assaulted her also.
• After killing both of them, for short time, he searched for some money and jewellery but could not find anything. In hurry, he left the weapon of offence (Katuri) at the spot house which was recovered by the first investigating officer.
• He threw his blood-stained clothes along with a stone in the nearby flowing nearby Taladanda canal at Beleshwar. Then, he and his wife Basanti left Cuttack for Sundargarh district. After reaching Sundargarh, Basanti switched on her mobile phone.
• That explains there was a gap of about 40 hours in the CDR of Basanti.

Conclusion:

• So, on the basis of the statements of the family members, extra judicial confession, CDR analysis and interrogation of suspects, both Santosh @ Eman Samad and Basanti Samad are arrested today and forwarded to the court today.
• Santosh was forwarded to the court under murder head, while Basanti has been forwarded under conspiracy to do the murder.