Two years down the line, justice still eludes Patnagarh blast victims

Blink News Network

Patnagarh, Feb 23: Even after two years since the infamous case of Patnagarh parcel bomb created ripples in the state, justice still awaits the family members of the deceased. Even after arrest of the prime accused in the case and a thorough investigation by the cops, the accused is yet to be convicted.

In 2018, February 23 the newly-wed Soumya Ranjan Sahi and his grandmother died in a bomb blast at their residence in Patnagarh. Soumya’s wife Rima also suffered serious injury. After that, the Crime Branch had arrested the accused Punjilal Meher who was working as a lecturer in a city-based college. He was accused of committing the crime out of jealousy with deceased Soumya’s mother who was Meher’s colleague in the same college.

“After two years, justice still is being denied to the victim family. The accused is still not given punishment and that is teasing us every day,” family members of the deceased told reporters after the case is close to reaching two years.

Father of the deceased son said that he, his wife and their daughter-in-law living miserably everyday because the culprit Meher has got bail despite having all proof of crime. “My daughter-in-law who was newly married to my son when the incident occurred is living life miserably. She was facing difficulty to listen from anyone and eat after the blast incident. We got her admitted in the city college for PG in Odia so that her mind change a bit. We want justice for our son’s murder and we will not stop till we get it,” he said.

A movie was also made  on the incident by producer Sridhar Martha titled ‘Patnagarh’  in which actor Manoj Mishra played the character of police chief who was probing the case. The movie is directed by Rajesh Touchriver. Punjilal Meher’s wife Soudamini meanwhile had approached the Bombay High Court for stay in the movie release.

TheBlink
TheBlink
We are a bunch of like-minded people from the media who came forward to build a niche where important news affecting the people at large could be covered independently. This website has been envisioned to be a one stop centre for stories on different facets of the society which should ideally get space in the media but due to several reasons the mainstream media do not give them ample space. This website is trying to build that void. We are trying to report from the important developments from the eastern India with special focus on Odisha, West Bengal and the North East. This website was founded by some senior, mid and new budding journalists to cater to the needs of consumers of digital media which is unbiased, non dependent on government ads for survival and dare to report on the issues which should get ample space in the media and spark debate and discussions in the society. We have our representatives in New Delhi, Odisha, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and North East to cater to the needs of people from their region which are otherwise shunned by the national media. We have our head office at Bhubaneswar in Odisha

Latest Articles

Children of a Lesser State: The Unspoken Cost of Odisha’s Double-Engine Promise

Part I — Federalism or Fealty? There is something unsettling...

When Compliance Becomes Punishment: The Motorist’s Anxiety in Odisha

When did owning a car or a motorcycle become...

EXCLUSIVE: How the Odisha Government Bypassed Union Home Ministry Rules to Favor a Chosen IPS Officer for the DGP Post

By Satya Prakash Nayak Bhubaneswar,01/09/2026: In an exclusive investigative report...

From Koraput Hills to London Streets: Odisha’s Kruti Coffee Goes Global

TBN, 21/08/2026: Kruti Coffee, a speciality coffee brand originally...

The Scapegoat Statecraft: How Odisha’s Political Executive is Deflecting Accountability

By Satya Prakash Nayak In classical political theory, ministerial accountability...

Related Articles

EXCLUSIVE: How the Odisha Government Bypassed Union Home Ministry Rules to Favor a Chosen IPS Officer for the DGP Post

By Satya Prakash Nayak Bhubaneswar,01/09/2026: In an exclusive investigative report highlighted by SATYAPATHA ( a leading digital news Platform), official documents have surfaced revealing a...

From Koraput Hills to London Streets: Odisha’s Kruti Coffee Goes Global

TBN, 21/08/2026: Kruti Coffee, a speciality coffee brand originally established to revive neglected tribal coffee farms in Koraput, Odisha, has opened its first international...

Beyond Pradhan’s Balance Sheets: How the MMDR 2026 Redirects Corporate Loyalty Away from States and Centralisation of mining wealth

By Satya Prakash Nayak Bhubaneswar 21/08/2026 : The battle lines in Indian fiscal federalism have been sharply redrawn following the passage of the Mines and...

The Scapegoat Statecraft: How Odisha’s Political Executive is Deflecting Accountability

By Satya Prakash Nayak In classical political theory, ministerial accountability is the bedrock of parliamentary democracy: the elected executive formulates policy, directs the machinery of...