Berhampur: District and Sessions Court, Berhampur handed down a life imprisonment sentence to 48-year-old Rubita Adhikari on Wednesday for the murder of Bishnupriya Sahu, a 38-year-old mentally challenged woman, two years ago.
District and Sessions Judge Rupashree Choudhury delivered the verdict in connection with the killing that took place on January 8, 2023, within the K Nuagaon police station limits in Ganjam district.
The court’s decision came after reviewing statements from 17 witnesses, alongside police and medical reports. Rubita Adhikari was in custody since her arrest following the murder. However, her male co-accused was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Police investigations revealed that Rubita, a resident of Bhubaneswar, was involved in an illicit relationship with a man from her village, whom she visited frequently.
On the day of the crime, she had traveled to the village for a feast and met with her lover that night. Bishnupriya, who witnessed their interaction, became a perceived threat to Rubita. Fearing the woman might expose her affair, Rubita strangled Bishnupriya to death.
Two days later, police registered a case and arrested both Rubita and her lover. While the court found compelling evidence to convict Rubita, it cleared her partner due to a lack of substantiating proof.
