Parcel bomb case: Accused awarded life sentence

The Additional District and Sessions Court of Patnagarh, Sonali Patnaik on Wednesday delivered its much-awaited judgment in the chilling Patnagarh parcel bomb case, sentencing the lone accused, Punjilal Meher, to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Meher, a former English lecturer, was in the court which was crowded as the gruesome murder had shocked the state in 2018.

The horrific incident occurred on 23 February 2018, just days after the wedding of Soumyasekhar Sahu and Reema. A parcel, which appeared to be a wedding gift, exploded when it was opened at the Sahu residence in Patnagarh, killing Soumyasekhar and his grandmother while severely injuring Reema.

The case drew nationwide attention for its brutality and the calculated manner in which it was executed.

According to the Crime Branch, which took over the investigation, Punjilal Meher plotted the murder out of a deep-seated grudge. Jayasree Sahu, mother of the deceased groom, had allegedly superseded Meher in the selection process for the post of principal at the local college, where both were employed.

This act of professional rivalry took a deadly turn when Meher planned and executed the crime by dispatching the parcel bomb under the guise of a wedding gift.