Bhubaneswar, May 13: Khandagiri police arrested a couple last night for killing an elderly woman following a clash between two groups over a land dispute in Patrapada area on the city outskirts on Friday night.

The police said the accused duo were identified as Suresh Sahu, 40, and her wife Mana Sahu, 38, both from Patrapada. They were today sent to jail after their bail pleas were rejected by a local court here.

The police said Suresh and his wife had a fight with their neighbour Anand Parida and his wife Labanya Parida over a long-standing dispute over a piece of land. On Friday night, they also had a quarrel in which Labanya succumbed to her injuries. Labanya, 60, was staying with her husband Anand, 62, and their children. In the attack, Anand also sustained injuries.

Labanya’s son-in-law Narayan Sahu lodged a complaint in this regard at the Khandagiri police station on Friday night. “My in-laws were alone at home when Suresh and his wife attacked them. When I rushed to the spot hearing about the quarrel, I found my mother-in-law was lying on the ground outside the house and Anand was crying nearby. We soon rushed her to hospital but she died on the way,” said Narayan in his complaint.

“We booked them for murdering the old woman and forwarded them to the court today,” said a police officer.

The family members of the deceased said both the families had dispute over a plot of land near their house for past several years.

“Though the matter had come to the police in the past they used to force the family members to settle the disputes, but were not taking any hard steps. This resulted in a clash on Friday night,” said that family members.

Sources said both the families resided close to each other and they used to quarrel over petty issues which often lead to clashes. “As it was a common incident between the families, the police were trying to settle the matter instead of taking stern steps,” said sources in the police.

Rape victim

In another incident, a 17-year-old rape victim from Mancheswar area yesterday lodged a complaint with Mahila police that two youths from her locality had been threatening her to withdraw a rape case that she had lodged. Mahila police have registered a case under sections 506 and 34 of the IPC and are looking for the accused.

The girl, a Plus Two second-year student in a city-based college had been raped by a fourth-grade employee of public health engineering organisation in Mancheswar on May 8. Following her complaint, the Mahila police had arrested the accused, Kailash Chandra Kundu, and forwarded him to the court. Kundu has been deposed in Jharapada Jail in the city. But since the arrest of the accused, two youths had been allegedly threatening her. The police said that they had launched a manhunt to arrest the accused.