Sambalpur, July 1: Three school students were arrested today for allegedly killing a 65-year-old woman for a gold chain at Jarapali village in Naktideula block in this district on June 27.

The victim, who was a cook in an anganwadi centre, was attacked by the three students while she was cooking food at the village primary school. While one of the accused boys gagged her with a towel, two others had allegedly stabbed her with sharp edged weapons.

All the three boys belonged to Jarapali village. While two of them are studying in Class IX, the third accused is studying in Class VIII. The three children were on their way to attend a local high school on June 27.

When they found the cook alone, they attacked her with sharp weapons to loot the gold chain,” said a police office.

“During interrogation, they confessed that they had murdered 65-year-old Nara Majhi for the gold chain,” said inspector in charge of Naktideula police station Antaryami Pradhan.

“After killing the woman, the accused trio took away her gold chain and went to attend their school. They had hidden the gold chain in a bush behind the school building,” said Pradhan.

On being informed by a villager, the police reached the village and found the old woman's body lying in a pool of blood.

A case was later registered based on the complaint lodged by Majhi’s nephew and the investigation began.

The three accused students were detained by the police for interrogation during which they confessed to murdering Majhi and also showed the place where they had hidden the gold chain and the weapons used in the crime.