Raipur/Sarguja: In a deeply disturbing incident that has sent shockwaves across Chhattisgarh, the police have arrested a man Pradeep Agariya accused of brutally torturing and murdering his 23 year-old pregnant wife, Hirabai, in Bhittikala Semarghat village, located within the jurisdiction of the Manipur Police Station in Sarguja district.
The extreme brutality of the crime has left the local community in deep shock, police said on Sunday.
The accused allegedly assaulted his wife and inserted a twelve-inch iron tool into her private parts, causing severe internal injuries.
The horrific act resulted in fatal bleeding, which claimed the lives of both Hirabai and her unborn child.
According to authorities, once the accused realised his wife had lost consciousness, he tied her to his motorcycle and transported her to the Ambikapur Medical College Hospital.
Upon arrival, the accused attempted to mislead the medical staff by fabricating a story, claiming that his wife had sustained her injuries in a severe road accident.
However, as soon as the attending doctors examined the victim and pronounced her brought dead, the accused panicked and fled the hospital premises.
Earlier, too, Prasanna Agariya, a resident of Sakariya Kunni village, had filed a formal report at the Manipur Police Station on May 15 that his sister, Hira Bai, had been subjected to a savage physical assault by her husband.
The initial report indicated that the victim had sustained life-threatening injuries to her head and face.
The police immediately registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter, but the true gravity of the crime intensified significantly once the forensic medical examination was completed, exposing the extreme nature of the violence.
Following a swift investigation and a subsequent manhunt, the local police managed to track down and apprehend the fleeing husband.
The accused is currently in police custody, and law enforcement officials are conducting a thorough investigation to ensure the strictest legal action is taken for this heinous double homicide.
Outrage swept across the locality after the report disclosed severe internal and external injuries on the woman’s body, drawing chilling parallels to the infamous Nirbhaya case due to the sheer brutality involved.
According to police officials, the accused had abandoned his critically injured wife at the Medical College Hospital before fleeing the site.
The woman later succumbed to her severe injuries during treatment.
The case took a sensational turn following the receipt of the post-mortem report, which revealed horrific details of torture.
According to information provided by the authorities, the accused husband had been absconding since abandoning his dying wife at the hospital.
Recognising the severity of the crime, a special joint team comprising personnel from the Manipur Police Station and the Cyber Cell was formed under the guidance of City Superintendent of Police Rahul Bansal to launch a comprehensive manhunt.
Acting on a precise tip-off from a local informant, the police team cordoned off a dense forested area near the Khairbar Ganjhadand Dam and successfully apprehended the fleeing suspect.
During the preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted to physically assaulting his wife.
The police are currently conducting a thorough and extensive investigation into the entire matter to ensure justice.
(IANS)
