Kendrapara: A 35-year-old widow allegedly murdered her 65-year-old mother-in-law in a bid to grab the insurance money following the death of her spouse.

The accused, Jharana Roul, a native of Janhimula village near here, had lost her spouse Prasant Roul in May last year.

Prasant, who worked at a private company as an executive in Bangalore, was killed in a road accident. The accused, a mother of two, was entitled to Rs 8 lakh from a life insurance policy.

The police have detained three persons, including the main accused Jharana, in connection with the suspected murder of Puni Dei, 65, who was allegedly murdered when she had laid claim over the insurance sum, the police said, quoting the contents of the FIR lodged by the deceased woman's daughter.

The victim had been admitted with injuries to district headquarters hospital where she died on Saturday.

The body had been sent for post-mortem, and the police are awaiting the report to substantiate the case of murder, said sub-divisional police officer Rajib Lochan Panda.

The deceased woman's daughter, Sanjulata, said: "My mother was being ill-treated by my sister-in-law. My mother was insistent on taking a part of the insurance sum for financial support in old age. That infuriated Jharana (sister-in-law). She physically tortured and badly beat up my mother leading to her death."

"All angles to the suspected murder are being looked into. The accused persons are also alleged to have obtained written declaration from the deceased through left thumb impression withdrawing claim from the insurance money. The veracity of the allegations is being investigated," the police officer said.