Widow beaten to death by in-laws over AIDS suspicion

Puri, Feb 27 (UNI) A widow living in Keutunga village under the Gop police station was allegedly beaten to death by her in-laws on Saturday night as they suspected her to be suffering from AIDS.

Thirty-year-old Sabita Behera was suffering from fever for several days which her in-laws believed to be AIDS.

The widow was married to Kalandi Behera, twelve years ago, who died in 2003 allegedly of AIDS, police informed.

Her in-laws suspected Sabita of carrying AIDS virus and her only son was sent to his maternal uncle's house.

Fearing the spread of the disease, Sabita was allegedly killed by her in-laws, the police said.

Denying that Sabita was suffering from the dreaded disease her father Dhaneswar Behera lodged a complaint with the Gop police station, stating that his daughter was often tortured by her in-laws, who were after the property left by her late husband.

The police has detained Sabita's two brothers-in-law for questioning, while her body is sent for post-mortem at the district headquarter hospital here to ascertain the cause of death and whether the widow was suffering from AIDS, police added.

UNI