By Sagaya Fernando | April 9, 2026
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, INDIA: In a shocking incident on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, a 62-year-old retired government accountant allegedly murdered his wife at their residence on Wednesday April 8 morning before surrendering to the police within an hour.
The accused, Debaraj Sarangi, who retired two years ago as a senior accountant from the Accountant General’s office, is reported to have been suffering from prolonged illness and depression. The crime took place at the couple’s two-storey home in Swastik Nagar under the jurisdiction of Airfield police station.
According to police, the couple had breakfast together earlier in the day. Around 10 am, Sarangi reportedly told his 55-year-old wife, Priyambada Sarangi, that he intended to leave the house permanently and was contemplating suicide due to his deteriorating health. When Priyambada tried to stop him, an argument broke out.
During the altercation, Sarangi allegedly assaulted her, punched her, and strangled her until she lost consciousness. He then used a kitchen knife to slit her throat and stab her multiple times in the face and neck, leading to her death due to excessive bleeding.
After committing the crime, Sarangi locked the house and went to his daughter Arpita’s residence in Patrapada. Without revealing the incident, he handed over ₹25,000 in cash and his wife’s gold ornaments before leaving hurriedly. Family members later told police that he appeared visibly distressed and had been suffering from poor health and lack of sleep in recent months.
At around 11:45 am, Sarangi walked into a police station and allegedly confessed to the crime. Police teams immediately rushed to the scene and found Priyambada’s body lying in a pool of blood in the bedroom. A blood-stained knife and two mobile phones were recovered from the spot.
Investigators revealed that Sarangi had been battling multiple health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and liver cirrhosis, for the past five years, which had significantly affected his mental health.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena stated that preliminary findings suggest the accused was under severe mental stress. The couple’s daughter has lodged a formal complaint, and a case of murder has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have arrested Sarangi and further investigation is underway.
Notably, this is the second such incident reported in the city within the last 10 days. On March 31, another man allegedly killed his wife in the Badagada area following a personal dispute.
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