Three murders within 24 hours rocked the Odisha capital, police said on Tuesday.

While a three-year-old child was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered, a woman was stabbed to death by an unidentified person. Besides, a woman was found dead under mysterious conditions.

Police have already identified the accused in the brutal murder of the child. The accused has been identified as Ghania.

The accused lured the child to his house in a slum on the pretext of giving her a bar of chocolate. Later, he allegedly raped the girl and killed her by slitting her throat. The accused has been absconding. The incident took place on Monday evening.

Assistant commissioner of police Girija Chakraborty said: “Only after the autopsy report, we will get a clear picture of whether the minor girl was sexually assaulted or not. We will soon nab the accused.”

In the second case, Sasmita Behera, 30, who was running an eatery near the Revenue Officers Training Institute at Gothapatna, was allegedly stabbed to death by unidentified persons at her shop on Monday night.

Police seized some liquor bottles from the spot. Police suspect some family dispute or business rivalry could be the reason behind the murder. She was murdered when
her husband was not in the eatery. He had gone to fetch water.

In the third case, a 26-year-old married woman was found dead in her in-law’s house on Monday night. The woman was identified as Priyanka Mishra.

She got married two and a half years ago. Priyanka’s family members alleged that her in-laws started torturing her after she refused to bring the dowry money as demanded by them.

As per the in-laws, Priyanka committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan. However, Priyanka’s family members alleged that it was a well-planned murder.

A case has been registered under Section 302 of IPC.

“We have detained the husband and started interrogation,” said additional deputy commissioner of police Prakash Chandra Pal.

President visit

President Draupadi Murmu is likely to undertake a two-day visit to her home district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha from November 20, Union minister of state for tribal affairs and jal shakti Bisheswar Tudu said this on Tuesday in Bhubaneswar, reports PTI.