Missing Bhubaneswar Woman Constable Found Dead in Keonjhar; Husband Arrested
Bhubaneswar / Keonjhar, Odisha — A pervasive sense of shock and grief descended upon Bhubaneswar after the body of 25-year-old traffic constable Subhamitra Sahoo, missing since September 6, was discovered buried in a jungle near Ghatagaon in Keonjhar district. Her husband, also a police constable, has been arrested and several persons are under investigation, as the police piece together what appears to be a crime born of betrayal, financial disputes, and deception.
The Disappearance
On the morning of September 6, Subhamitra Sahoo left home in Surya Nagar, Bhubaneswar for her duty shift, which officially began at 10 a.m. and was supposed to conclude by evening. When she failed to return by the shift’s end, her worried family filed a missing-person complaint the next day with the Capital police station. Her mother, Sukanti Sahoo, raised the alarm.
An Unexpected Twist: Secret Marriage and Disputes Over Money
During the investigation, police unearthed that Subhamitra had secretly married Deepak Kumar Rout, a fellow police constable, in July 2024 (court marriage). Though married in legal terms, the couple had not held any kind of ceremonial or social wedding. Subhamitra continued to live in rented accommodation in Surya Nagar, while Deepak resided separately in Mahtab Road.
Financial strains appear to have strained relations between the two. Subhamitra had lent a substantial sum—reports place it at ₹10-13 lakh—to Deepak for what she believed was purchase of a plot of land, but later, when Deepak didn’t use the funds as intended, she demanded its return. In addition, she wanted extra money to conduct a proper marriage ceremony in keeping with social norms. These matters reportedly led to repeated arguments in the months preceding her disappearance.
Crime, Arrest, and Discovery of the Body
According to police accounts, on September 6, Deepak invited Subhamitra for lunch, drove her in his car to an isolated lane near Surya Nagar, and strangled her inside the vehicle. He then placed her body in the boot. The next day, with the help of two associates—one of them a relative—he transported the body to Keonjhar’s Ghatagaon area, about 170-180 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, where they buried her in a field behind a house.
Deepak was arrested following mounting evidence that included contradictory statements, CCTV footage, mobile phone records, a polygraph test, and the tracing of Subhamitra’s last known whereabouts. Two other individuals—Binod Bihari Bhuyan and Sambhunath Mahanta—have also been arrested for alleged involvement in the disposal of the body and destruction of evidence.
On September 17, police exhumed Subhamitra’s body from the burial site in Keonjhar and handed it over to her family following post-mortem.
Motive, Investigation & Ongoing Questions
While financial dispute is the primary motive cited by police, there are deeper layers under investigation. Among them:
- Whether Subhamitra’s insurance policies—reportedly worth over ₹1 crore—played a role in Deepak’s planning.
- The sudden nature of the crime: how planning unfolded in days, and how two others were involved in aiding with burial, land arrangements, and concealing evidence.
- Whether there were earlier signs of discord or attempts at reconciliation that might have foreshadowed this tragic outcome. Investigators are also checking whether Subhamitra had expressed desire to leave or escape the marriage.
Public Response and Next Steps
News of Subhamitra’s death has stirred outrage and sorrow across Odisha, especially among frontline police personnel and women’s rights activists. Candlelight vigils have been held in Bhubaneswar, demanding justice and stricter accountability.
Police have committed to a full, transparent probe. Authorities say charges of murder, conspiracy, destruction of evidence are being pursued; forensic tests are ongoing; and all three accused have been produced before the local judiciary. Meanwhile, the public and Subhamitra’s family are seeking clarity on insurance payouts and whether financial pressure was misused to lead to a fatal outcome.