In a chilling and tragic incident, a 13-year-old girl allegedly killed her adoptive mother on April 29 with the help of two male friends. The girl, a Class 8 student, had been adopted as a three-day-old baby after being found abandoned on a roadside in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The woman, identified as 54-year-old Rajalaxmi Kar, had adopted the girl nearly a decade ago. According to media reports, Rajalaxmi and her late husband, who had no children of their own, found the infant on a roadside in Bhubaneswar and raised her as their daughter. Rajalaxmi became a single mother just a year later after her husband passed away. She later moved to Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district so her daughter could attend Kendriya Vidyalaya, renting a home in the area.
Teen Was Involved In Relationship With 2 Men
Police investigations suggest that the motive behind the gruesome act was Rajalaxmi’s disapproval of her daughter’s relationship with two local men and the girl's intent to seize her adoptive mother’s wealth. The teenage girl had reportedly formed a romantic relationship with Ganesh Rath (21), a temple priest, and his friend Dinesh Sahu (20), both residents of the same town.
On the evening of the crime, the girl allegedly spiked Rajalaxmi’s food or drink with sleeping pills. Once unconscious, the two young men were called in, and the trio reportedly smothered her using pillows. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared dead. The next day, she was cremated in Bhubaneswar, with family members believing she had succumbed to a heart attack, as she had a pre-existing cardiac condition.
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How Was the Crime Uncovered?
The truth behind the killing came to light when Rajalaxmi’s brother, Siba Prasad Mishra, discovered the girl’s phone left behind in Bhubaneswar. Upon examining it, he found detailed Instagram chats where the teen had outlined the plan to murder her mother and steal her gold and cash as per NDTV.
Mishra subsequently filed a complaint with the police on May 14. This led to the arrest of the girl, Rath, and Sahu. Authorities recovered around 30 grams of gold jewellery, three mobile phones, and the pillows believed to have been used in the murder.
According to Gajapati Superintendent of Police, Jatindra Kumar Panda, further investigations suggest Rath was the main instigator, allegedly convincing the girl that her mother’s death would allow them to continue their relationship and inherit her assets.