Court gives life term to ex-lecturer in 2018 parcel bomb case
Bhubaneswar/Patnagarh: A court in Balangir district's Patnagarh on Wednesday sentenced former English lecturer Punjilal Meher to life imprisonment for conspiring and killing two persons using a parcel bomb concealed in a wedding gift in 2018, considered a first-of-its-kind crime in the state.
Additional district judge pronounced the judgement, spread over 209 pages, holding Punjilal guilty under various IPC sections for murder, attempted murder, disappearance of evidence and making explosives. "The convict in gross abuse of his intellect and knowledge, turned what should have been a symbol of joy into an instrument of horror," the judge observed.
"The court, while pronouncing the judgment, observed that it was a heinous crime but not the rarest of rare when we argued for capital punishment for Punjilal.
The quantum of punishment is very satisfactory, and all sentences will run concurrently. It means Punjilal's jail term will continue till his death unless he challenges it and the sentence gets commuted," said special public prosecutor C R Kanungo.
On Feb 23, 2018, Punjilal delivered the parcel bomb through a courier to his colleague Sanjukta Sahoo's residence in Patnagarh hidden in a wedding gift for her son Soumya Sekhar, then 28.
The explosion killed Soumya, a software professional, and his 69-year-old grandmother Jemamani.
Balangir police began investigation into the case but made little headway for a month, following which the then BJD govt ordered a crime branch (CB) probe.
The court held the motive behind the premeditated murder was professional jealousy, as Punjilal aspired for Sanjukta's position of college principal. The incident occurred on the sixth day after Soumya's wedding.
"Justice was finally served after seven years of legal proceedings. Our son is not with us any more, but the judgment may bring peace to his soul. We were pitching for capital punishment, but we have full faith in the judiciary," said Sanjukta.
Soumya's father, Rabindra, a retired lecturer, said they would contest the case further if Punjilal moves the appellate court praying for commuting his sentence. "We will not move on our own appealing for capital punishment in a higher court.
But we will definitely fight if Punjilal moves court against the judgment," Rabindra told TOI.
As many as 62 pieces of evidence were produced in court, collected by the officers during the probe. Also, a video of Punjilal making the bomb was played in the court. The video was shot at an undisclosed place with then IG (crime branch), Arun Bothra, in the frame.
During the trial, Kanungo said Punjilal tried to buy time by moving the Orissa high court and Supreme Court.
He also changed at least five lawyers. Police officers present in the court said that an otherwise garrulous Punjilal stood straight and silent.
During investigation, CB officers found half-burnt pieces of an Odia newspaper in Sanjukta's home, indicating that the bomb was locally made, using local expertise and materials. Earlier, it was suspected the bomb-maker and conspirator might be from outside the state. During its probe, the CB detained five persons, but four were released after officers found Punjilal was the sole conspirator.
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