INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The gift package was given to the couple on their wedding reception by an unidentified person (File)Cuttack/Bolangir:
The police today claimed to have cracked the wedding gift parcel bomb case of Bolangir alleging that a college lecturer masterminded
it for being replaced by the mother of one of the two persons killed in the blast in February.Punjilal Meher, the accused and a colleague of
the deceased groom's mother, was arrested by the Crime Branch last night, Director General of Police RP Sharma told reporters at
Cuttack."The Crime Branch sleuths, in course of their investigation, zeroed in on Punjilal Meher as the mastermind in the parcel gift blast
They confirmed his complicity during its investigation in Raipur," he said.Soumya and Reema Sahu had married on February 18
Five days later, they received a parcel as a wedding gift
The parcel exploded when it was opened on February 23
Soumya and his grandmother Jemamani were killed in the blast while Reema suffered grievous burn injuries. The explosion occurred when the
couple, Soumya and Reema Sahu, opened a gift package"The motive of the crime was jealousy
Soumya's mother Sanjukta was made principal of the Jyoti Bikash College at Bhainsa replacing Meher," IGP Crime Branch Arun Bothra said.In a
bid to take revenge, Meher planned and executed the blast with an aim to eliminate the entire family, Mr Bothra told reporters at
Bolangir."Meher himself prepared the parcel bomb and sent it through a courier to Sahu's family from Raipur," he said.The IGP said the
police seized crackers, gun powder, a laptop and a pen drive from the possession of Meher, he said.Meher studied for seven months and took
the help of the Internet to prepare the bomb, Mr Bothra said, adding that he had tested small bombs manufactured by him before sending the
gift parcel.Meanwhile, six other suspects detained for interrogation in this case were released today.
