Bhubaneswar, Jan 30 (IANS) A local court in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, on Thursday, sentenced eight persons to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) in connection with a case involving the fatal assault of a 58-year-old woman in Ramachandrapur area of the district, which led to her death while undergoing treatment in 2023.

The convicts have also been asked to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each, failing which they will have to undergo a further jail term of three months.

“On March 22, 2023, the deceased, Mali Jena, was sitting on the verandah outside her house when the accused persons, along with 100 to 150 others carrying dangerous weapons, reached the spot. Upon seeing them, a frightened Jena immediately went inside her house. Two of the accused dragged her outside and while all the accused started assaulting her mercilessly. Hearing her cries, neighbours rushed to her rescue, following which the accused fled from the spot,” Additional Public Prosecutor Soumitri Kumar Rout said.

He added that Jena, who received multiple injuries, was initially shifted to a local hospital in Anandapur for treatment.

However, the medical officer there later referred Jena to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for better treatment as her condition deteriorated.

She succumbed to the injuries while undergoing treatment at the SCB hospital in Cuttack after a few days on March 29, 2023.

Meanwhile, sources claimed that there was political rivalry between the supporters of the then sitting local sarpanch and the defeated candidate.

Owing to this rivalry, the deceased’s side was opposing the activities of the accused side.

It also said that the deceased, Jena, was leading a group of women of the Saladei village to oppose the illegal movement of heavy sand-loaded vehicles passing through her village.

This caused heavy financial losses to the accused’ side, which had a lease to extract sand from the Saladei sand ghat.

On March 22, 2023, the victim sustained serious injuries in the attack by the accused persons and later succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment on March 29 the same year.

–IANS

gyan/khz