Police reveal financial struggle behind elderly woman’s murder in Cuttack

Bhubaneswar, Sept 15: A day after an elderly woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her two sons in Cuttack, Odisha, police on Sunday disclosed new details about the possible motive behind the crime. The victim, identified as 74-year-old Anima Mohanty, was murdered at her home in Mahanadi Vihar under the Chauliaganj police station on Saturday morning.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident stemmed from a dispute over money, as both accused sons were unemployed and financially dependent on their mother's pension, according to Chauliaganj Police Station Inspector-in-Charge, Debendra Biswal.

The suspects, Anshuman Mohanty (42) and Anurag Mohanty (38), had no history of mental illness, police said. While Anshuman has been arrested, Anurag is currently on the run.

The sons’ behavior had reportedly worsened in recent days due to financial stress. In desperation, they had started selling household items, furniture, and other belongings to scrap vendors, which led to confrontations with their mother when she opposed their actions.

Anima had been living with her sons after the death of her husband, a retired bank employee. On Saturday, following an argument, the two sons allegedly stabbed her in the garage of their home. Neighbors, hearing her screams, alerted the police, who arrived promptly and began their investigation with the assistance of a forensic team.

After the attack, the brothers reportedly attempted to clean the crime scene to remove bloodstains and other evidence, police stated.