Land Dispute Turns Deadly: Father, Stepmother, and Stepbrother Held in Odisha Arson Case

A tragic incident in Odisha has resulted in the arrest of three individuals following the death of Jyotiranjan, initially believed to have died by self-immolation. The police investigation has revealed a murder plot. The victim, a resident of Saripur village under the Balianta Police Station, died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar from burn injuries. His wife, Bijayalaxmi Behera, reported that Jyotiranjan’s father, stepmother, and stepbrother were involved in the crime. They are accused of setting him ablaze on Friday, motivated by a long-standing family dispute, police said. Jyotiranjan was first taken to the Aithantar Community Health Centre, then to Capital Hospital before being admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Police are now treating the case as an attempt to murder related to a land dispute. Post-mortem reports will further aid the investigation. The accused have been identified as Surendranath Mathia (74), Parvati Mathia (50), and Prashant Kumar Mathia (34). Bijayalaxmi’s account indicates that the land dispute arose from her father-in-law’s unwillingness to give her husband his rightful share of the property. The investigation has clarified that what was considered a suicide was, in fact, an act of violence.