Suspended police constable Deepak Kumar Rout, already in custody for the alleged murder of his second wife, was on Monday taken on a one-day police remand for fresh interrogation. The Cuttack (rural) police are now probing the suspicious 2022 death of his first wife, a case reopened just days after his recent arrest.
From Accident to Murder: A Sister's Complaint Reopens Case
The 39-year-old constable was initially arrested on September 17, 2025, in Bhubaneswar for the alleged murder of his wife and fellow constable, Subhamitra Sahoo. This arrest triggered a chain of events that cast a dark shadow over an older tragedy. Just two days later, on September 19, 2025, the Khuntuni police registered a fresh murder case against Deepak concerning the death of his first wife, Aparna Priyadarshini, which had occurred back in 2022.
The case was reopened after Aparna's younger sister, Rosalin Rout, filed a formal complaint at the Khuntuni police station. In her statement, Rosalin alleged that while the family initially believed Aparna's death was an accident, the murder of Subhamitra raised grave suspicions. She pointedly noted that both her sister and Subhamitra were insured for Rs 1 crore, suggesting a possible financial motive.
Doubts in the 2022 'Accident': A Truck That Wasn't There
Police sources have revealed that the original investigation into Aparna's death in 2022 was far from conclusive. At the time, Deepak Kumar Rout had filed an FIR stating that on March 17, 2022, his wife Aparna (31) was fatally struck by a truck with registration number OD-02S-3486. Following this lead, investigators traced the vehicle and detained its driver.
However, a critical discrepancy emerged. The police probe established that the identified truck was not present in the area on the day of the alleged accident. Faced with this dead end, Deepak changed his story, claiming he might have misread the vehicle's number plate in the dark. With no other evidence, the police eventually submitted a Final Report True (FRT) to the court, acknowledging the incident but clarifying that the specific truck was not involved. The case was closed until Rosalin's recent complaint revived it.
Police Aim to Uncover the Truth
An officer from the Khuntuni police station stated that the one-day remand was crucial to interrogate Deepak thoroughly. "We will interrogate Deepak to elicit the truth and establish the circumstances leading to his first wife's death," the officer said. The fresh case adds a complex layer to the ongoing investigation, connecting two tragic deaths separated by three years.
The arrest of Deepak Kumar Rout and the reopening of the 2022 case have sent shockwaves through the community, raising serious questions about the initial investigation. Authorities are now meticulously piecing together the timeline and motives, with the substantial insurance policies on both wives forming a central part of the inquiry.
