Odisha Man Dies After Being Set Ablaze in Land Dispute, Father, Stepmother, and Stepbrother Arrested

A man in Odisha, initially believed to have died by self-immolation, was the victim of a brutal murder, police investigations revealed. Jyotiranjan, a resident of Saripur village, succumbed to severe burn injuries at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. His father, stepmother, and stepbrother have been arrested in connection with the crime. The incident, which occurred under the jurisdiction of the Balianta Police Station, was initially classified as self-immolation. However, further investigation, prompted by the victim’s wife, Bijayalaxmi Behera, unveiled a premeditated act of violence. Allegedly, the suspects poured petrol on Jyotiranjan and set him alight on Friday, driven by a longstanding family dispute over land. Before his death, Jyotiranjan received initial medical attention at the Aithantar Community Health Centre and was later transferred to Capital Hospital before being moved to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Post-mortem reports are pending, which are expected to provide further clarity and evidence in the case. The arrested individuals have been identified as Surendranath Mathia (74), Parvati Mathia (50), and Prashant Kumar Mathia (34). Bijayalaxmi Behera’s FIR indicates the land dispute arose from her father-in-law’s refusal to grant Jyotiranjan his rightful share of the family property. What was initially considered a suicide attempt is now being treated as an attempted murder.