A former college principal in Odisha, who carried out what was India’s first parcel bomb blast and killed two people seven years ago, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court on Wednesday.
Punjilal Meher (56), the former principal of Jyoti Vikas Junior College in Bolangir district’s Patnagarh, was found guilty of murder, attempt to murder and use of explosives after the blast killed a software engineer Soumya Sekhar Sahu and his great aunt Jemamani Sahu.
Meher, officials said, carried out the murder out of professional jealousy with Sahu’s mother, who replaced him as principal.
The Additional District and Sessions Court in Bolangir acknowledged the prosecution’s argument that the murder was a “heinous” crime but refused to classify it as a “rarest of the rare” case that deserved death penalty. It also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict.
The incident dates back to February 23, 2018, when Sahu’s family received a gift in the form of a parcel, days after his wedding. As Sahu opened the parcel, the bomb inside it exploded, killing him and his great aunt on the spot. His wife, Reema, suffered grievous injuries in the blast.
The explosion was so powerful that it left cracks on the walls of the victim’s house. It also left Sahu’s parents in a state of shock.
The case was initially handled by the local police, before it was handed over to the Crime Branch amid a massive uproar.
The Crime Branch led by then Inspector General Arun Bothra gradually learnt that the parcel was sent from Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Bolangir police also received an anonymous letter suggesting betrayal and financial loss as the possible motives behind the murder.
In February 2019, the Crime Branch arrested Meher in the case. It was subsequently revealed that he carried out the blast out of professional jealousy.
During the course of interrogation, Meher said he was furious after he was replaced as the college principal by Sahu’s mother. He said he travelled to Raipur without a mobile phone and a train ticket to avoid coming under the scanner, to post the package, and returned to Odisha the same day.
Mr Bothra, who played a pivotal role in the investigation, testified as the 60th witness in December last year, providing evidence to help establish the chain of events leading to the blast.