Constable visits Tarini temple, takes selfies after burying wife’s body

Bhubaneswar: Police investigating the murder of woman traffic constable Subhamitra Sahoo by her husband, constable Deepak Kumar Rout, came across startling details.After strangling her to death inside his car on the evening of Sept 6, the day she went missing, Rout kept her body inside his vehicle at his home and the day after, he buried her in Keonjhar, about 170 km from Bhubaneswar.After the disposal of her body, Rout visited the Tarini temple in Ghatagaon, Keonjhar, offered prayers, and even took selfies—indicating a lack of remorse, according to police sources.Rout resumed his duties at the police commissionerate headquarters in the city on Sept 8 as if nothing has happened. The same evening, the investigators of Capital police station detained him after discovering during their investigation that he was the last person seen with Subhamitra in Bhubaneswar.“Our suspicions grew when we learnt about their court marriage last year, which neither of their families seemed to be aware of,” a police officer revealed. The couple was not living together, adding to the mystery surrounding their relationship. During questioning in the wake of her disappearance on Sept 6, Rout maintained a facade of normalcy, claiming that their relationship was perfect. He misled the police by suggesting that Subhamitra might have left home following a scuffle with her parents.

“He mentioned visiting a relative in Keonjhar on Sept 6 and offering prayers at the Tarini temple for her safe return. In an act of pretence, he even joined his family members in searching for her,” the officer added.The investigation took a significant turn when police accessed Subhamitra’s WhatsApp chats after unlocking her phone, which she left at her home. The chats revealed financial disputes between the couple, with Subhamitra borrowing Rs 10 lakh from Rout, which was a source of tension.Further examination of the chats showed that Subhamitra was under stress and expressed a desire to retreat to a spiritual place like Puri, Mathura, or Varanasi. “Rout claimed she was unwell and planning a spiritual journey for peace. Subsequently, we subjected him to a polygraph test. His responses during the polygraph test were deceptive. He then confessed to the crime,” the police officer said.