Baripada: In a horrifying case of domestic violence, a man allegedly killed his wife and mother-in-law and buried their bodies in his garden in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

The chilling double murder occurred at Nuagaon village under Kuliana police limits on July 12. The accused, Debasish Patra, works as a healthcare worker at the Kuabuda Sub-Centre under Kuliana Community Health Centre (CHC).

According to reports, Debasish had married Sonali Dalei (24), daughter of Lakshmidhar Dalei of Ambadubi village. The couple has a one-year-old son. On July 12, Sonali had returned home from her parental house along with her mother, Sumati Dalei (55).

He allegedly bludgeoned both women to death with a stone. However, the motive behind the brutal killings remains unclear.

In an attempt to conceal the crime, the accused buried the bodies in his lemon garden and planted a banana tree over the grave. When both women remained untraceable for days, villagers grew suspicious and noticed signs of recent digging in the garden. They alerted the police.

A police team exhumed the decomposed bodies 17 days after the incident. Debasish has been taken into custody for interrogation, and a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the heinous crime.