Odisha Man Arrested 28 Years After Murdering Mother-in-law

A man who murdered his mother-in-law in Chennai 28 years ago was arrested in Berhampur on Tuesday, police said.

The accused, 51-year-old Harihara Pattjoshi, was 23 years old when he stabbed to death his 48-year-old mother-in-law (mother of his estranged wife, Indira), at her Nanganallur residence in Chennai on August 9, 1995, police said. He had also attacked his 21-year-old wife, Indira and 24-year-old brother-in-law, Karthik, leaving them both grievously injured.

Pattjoshi worked at a printing press in an advertisement company in Chennai, while Indira was a telemarketing executive in another firm in the same city. They met due to a work-related assignment, fell in love and got married in 1994.

A few months after marriage, the couple got separated and the wife filed for divorce in the local court citing domestic violence.

Enraged by Indira’s allegations, Pattjoshi attacked his wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law. While the mother-in-law died,  his wife and brother-in-law were severely injured in the attack. A murder case against Pattjoshi was registered at Adambakkam police station in Chennai on the same day.

The accused had been hiding at various locations across Odisha and Surat since 1995. Initially, he hid in a friend’s house in Aska where he met another woman and married her in 2001.

Later, he worked in a masala factory in Berhampur, followed by as a salesman in a Bajaj insurance company in Kendrapara and as a manager in a chit fund company in Berhampur. He also shifted many houses during this time.

Multiple police teams have camped and conducted raids at Berhampur and nearby places over the last 28 years searching for him but he always managed to evade arrest.

Around a week ago, a four-member police team from Chennai, Adambakkam police station under SI Kannan along with HC Balamurugan, PC Edwin Deepak, and PC Manivannan reached Gosaninuagaon PS of Berhampur police district.

A team was formed under Gosaninuagaon IIC, Inspector Smruti consisting of several police personnel.

The police team worked in close coordination and kept a watch on all suspected locations. After a gruelling week, the police team were able to find Pattjoshi hiding in a location under the Gosaninuagaon PS area. He was apprehended while he was trying to escape again near the railway station, said Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M.