BOLANGIR, Odisha — A court in Bolangir district sentenced a lecturer to life imprisonment on Wednesday for killing two people by sending a parcel bomb as a wedding gift in 2018.
Punjilal Meher, an English lecturer and former principal at Jyoti Vikash Junior College in Bhainsa, had a professional rivalry with the groom’s mother, a colleague at the college. In 2018, he sent a parcel bomb to her home as a wedding gift. The explosion killed the newlywed son, Soumya Sekhar Sahoo, and his grandmother, Jemamani Sahoo.
Government counsel Chittaranjan Kanunugo said, “The court accepted the evidence we presented and sentenced Punjilal to life imprisonment. The court called this a heinous crime but did not consider it among the rarest of rare cases. It rejected the demand for the death penalty, citing the right to life. Still, we are satisfied with the judgment.”
The sessions judge in Patnagarh convicted Punjilal under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder (Section 302), attempt to murder (Section 307), and destruction of evidence (Section 201). He was also charged under the Explosive Substances Act.
Punjilal was sentenced to life imprisonment under two charges, ten years for two other offenses, and seven years for an additional charge. The court also fined him ₹1.4 lakh.
The prosecution presented a strong case, calling 62 witnesses, submitting 100 documents, and 51 pieces of material evidence.
Following the incident, the then Odisha government ordered a crime branch investigation. Crime branch chief Arun Bothra led the case. Due to limited direct evidence, it took nearly two months to arrest Punjilal, who was taken into custody on April 24, 2018.
Reports say Punjilal had personal enmity with Sanjukta Sahoo, who replaced him as principal-in-charge of the college. Resentful over losing his position, he planned the parcel bomb attack on her home. Punjilal reportedly spent seven months learning how to make bombs online and tested smaller devices before making the final parcel bomb.
He sent the 2.1 kg parcel bomb from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, about 230 kilometers from Patnagarh, to Sahoo’s residence in Brahmapura. The bomb arrived on February 23, five days after the wedding.
The bomb exploded when Soumya, a software engineer, opened the parcel. His grandmother was also killed. Soumya’s wife, Reemarani, was seriously injured. Local police struggled to solve the case until the crime branch took over.
Sanjukta Sahoo said, “I still don’t know if Punjilal is human or a demon. I am glad with the verdict. He had a rivalry with me. Let him spend his life in jail. If he challenges the judgment, we will take it to court.”
Soumya’s father, Rabindra Kumar Sahoo, said, “I hoped for the death penalty, but I am satisfied with the judgment. Let him rot in jail. Not a day passed when I did not come to court seeking justice for my son.”
