Odisha Police have arrested a caretaker in Surat in connection with the alleged killing of a 76-year-old woman at her residence in Bhubaneswar, after CCTV footage showed him leaving the property with jewellery and other valuables, an officer said.
Laxmisagar police, working with Gujarat Police, arrested Balbhadra Maharana in Gujarat Wednesday. He was being brought to Odisha on transit remand, according to the police officer cited in the report.
The deceased was identified as Kunjalata Nanda, a widow of a forest officer who lived in one portion of a two-storey house in Bhubaneswar’s Laxmisagar area. A tenant family occupied another portion of the building, police said.
Nanda lived alone at the residence. Her two sons live in the United States and Mumbai, while her two married daughters live in different parts of Bhubaneswar, according to the police account. Maharana had been responsible for looking after the elderly woman.
The incident came to light on the morning of November 4, when the tenant family received no response from Nanda despite repeated calls and ringing the doorbell. The family then informed the police, who found the woman tied up and dead, police said.
Investigators examined CCTV footage from the area as part of the inquiry. The footage reportedly showed the caretaker fleeing on a scooter on the night of November 3 with jewellery and other valuables. Police said he had remained absconding after the incident.
The arrest in Surat followed coordination between the Laxmisagar police and Gujarat Police. The accused’s transit remand was being used to bring him back to Odisha for further legal proceedings, according to the officer.
The case places attention on the security risks faced by elderly residents living alone in urban homes, particularly where family members reside in other cities or countries. In this instance, the tenant family’s attempt to contact the landlady led to the police being informed after she failed to respond.
Police proceedings will continue after Maharana is brought to Odisha on transit remand.
