A pharmacist allegedly killed his wife by administering an overdose of anaesthesia in Odisha capital on October 27. The accused has been identified as Pradyumna Kumar Dash, 24.

Police suspected the role of the husband after the post-mortem report revealed that the woman died due to foul play. The body of the woman was recovered on October 28.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Bhubaneswar Pinak Mishra told reporters: “After we got the post-mortem report, we started the investigation and interrogated the husband. The husband confessed to his crime. Being a pharmacist, he had chosen a different kind of route to kill his wife.”

The preliminary investigation points out that Pradyumna’s extra-martial affairs could be one of the reasons for the killing. Pradyumna knows how to administer anaesthesia well. However, he never anticipated being caught by the police.

Pradyumna’s two girlfriends — Rosy Patra and Ejita Bhuyan, 22, — who worked as paramedics helped him in the crime. Rosy and Ejita procured the anaesthesia for Pradyumna from a private hospital. “The accused brought the wife Subhashree to a lodge, where the trio forcibly injected her with an overdose of anaesthesia. Later, they brought Subhashree to the hospital, where the doctor declared her dead. It’s a well-hatched plan. All of them are caught,” the DCP said.

The accused absconded after perpetrating the crime. By tracking his mobile phone, police arrested him. All three have been arrested and forwarded to the court. Police would soon approach the court to take them on a remand for investigation.