Odisha man uses king cobra to kill wife, daughter for ‘compensation’

Ganesh Patra, a 25-year-old man from Adheigaon, Ganjam district, was arrested for using a venomous snake as a murder weapon to kill his wife Basanti Patra and their two-year-old daughter Debasmita. The motive behind the murder seems to be a family dispute and the lure of government compensation of Rs 8 lakh. The police became suspicious due to the unusual manner of deaths, with snake bites in the same place on both victims' right legs. The investigation is also looking into the possibility of the victims being sedated. Patra obtained a new SIM card to contact snake handlers and procured the snake from a handler in Polasara. The police are investigating the involvement of others in the crime, describing it as a very rare occurrence.