Berhampur: A man accused of murdering his mother-in-law in Chennai in 1995 has been apprehended in Odisha’s Ganjam district after eluding authorities for 28 years. The accused, identified as Harihara Pattjoshi from Berhampur, was arrested by a joint team of Chennai police and Berhampur police as he attempted to flee.
Harihara Pattjoshi had relocated to Chennai in the early 1990s and found employment at an advertisement company. His life took a dark turn when domestic disputes led to the separation of his marriage with Indira, whom he had met during a work-related assignment. After their separation, Indira filed for divorce, further escalating tensions.
On August 9, 1995, Pattjoshi allegedly attacked his estranged wife, mother-in-law Rama (48), and brother-in-law Karthik (24) at their residence in Nanganallur, Chennai. The brutal assault resulted in the death of his mother-in-law, while both Indira and Karthik sustained serious injuries. Following the incident, a murder case was registered at the S8 Adambakkam police station in Chennai, prompting an investigation. However, Pattjoshi managed to evade arrest and went on the run.
Over the past 28 years, multiple police teams conducted raids in Berhampur and nearby areas, as well as other locations in Odisha and Surat, but Pattjoshi remained elusive. He had changed residences frequently to avoid detection and was residing with his wife and a daughter from his second marriage.
The breakthrough in the case occurred when a four-member police team from Adambakkam police station received a tip-off about Pattjoshi’s whereabouts in Gosaninuagaon, Odisha. Berhampur police, acting on the information, provided an 11-member team to assist in the arrest.
After a week of intensive search efforts, the police teams successfully traced the accused to a location under Gosaninuagaon police station. Pattjoshi was apprehended as he attempted to flee near the railway station.
