Crime news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Nov 9: The half-burnt body of Ashrukana Pradhan, wife of former Odisha MLA Ajay Jena, was seized by police from the Satya Nagar crematorium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday following allegations from relatives that her last rites were being conducted without a post-mortem.
According to initial reports, the deceased’s relatives claimed that her daughter-in-law was performing the last rites without informing the family or conducting the necessary post-mortem. Ashrukana Pradhan was the wife of former Brahmagiri MLA Ajay Jena.
Upon receiving the complaint, the police acted swiftly and confiscated the half-burnt body, sending it for an autopsy.
The deceased’s brother expressed suspicions about the cremation process, stating that the way it was being carried out raised doubts about potential foul play. He added that he had been informed of his sister’s death by another sibling, noting that he had not been allowed to meet her for the past year.
The deceased’s younger sister, who was informed of the death by her nephew, rushed to the crematorium, where she found the body still burning on the pyre. She reported to the police that her sister had been subjected to torture for over a month and was effectively under house arrest.
In response, the daughter-in-law of the deceased denied the allegations, asserting that she had done nothing wrong in conducting the last rites.
