Baripada: Police on Monday arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly murdering an elderly widow, Radharani Behera of Waliganj in the district.

The motive behind the crime, the police suspected, was to grab the 72-year-old woman's property.

It is alleged that the accused, Ajit Kumar Sahu, a native of Samalpur in Industrial police limits of Balasore, was residing in his in-laws' house in Baripada town and had paid Rs 17 lakh to Behera, who owned a shop in the same town. Sahu had wanted to take the shop on lease. The deceased demanded Rs 3 lakh more from him, and this had enraged the accused.

Sahu allegedly strangled Behera to death when she was alone in her house. The son of the deceased, Bikram Behera, 42, lodged an FIR with police.

Town police station inspector-in-charge Ashok Nayak said the motive behind the murder was to grab Radharani's property. Both were known to each other. After getting Rs 17 lakh for giving her shop to the accused on lease, she again demanded Rs 3 lakh more.

The police said that after Sahu had a feeling that she would not give her shop to him on lease if he did not pay Rs 3 lakh, he planned to kill her.

It is alleged that Sahu hatched a conspiracy. On Sunday evening, he had taken her son to a nearby dhaba and offered him liquor. While her son was busy consuming liquor, Sahu returned to deceased's house and with a help of a rope strangled her to death. However, while fleeing the spot, he forgot to collect his bike key. The police, during investigation, found the key and suspected Sahu's involvement in the crime.