Ranpur: An elderly woman was killed by her younger son-in-law by slitting her throat with a knife late Sunday night at Kotanisila village of Kasanda panchayat under Rajasunakhala outpost limits in Nayagarh district. Following a probe, police today arrested the accused man and forwarded him to court.

The deceased was identified as Namita Behura (51), wife of a CRPF jawan working in Subarnapur. The accused was identified as 33-year-old Sarat Kumar Swain, who hails from Nayagarh district.

Namita’s two daughters have got married and she was staying alone in her house. Taking advantage of loneliness and in absence of any other family member, the elderly woman was attacked by the accused man and was allegedly murdered. A detailed probe is still underway and exact reason behind the killing has not been ascertained yet, Nayagarh Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Jain said in a presser.

On being informed, Ranpur police previously registered a case (No-213/2024) in this connection and had launched a probe by constituting three separate teams led by the Nayagarh SP, Ranpur IIC, and outpost in-charge. Police have seized the weapons of crime (two knives) from a place in Kotanisila village.