Bhubaneswar, May 28: In a significant judgment, the Additional District Judge Court in Patnagarh has sentenced Punjilal Meher to life imprisonment in connection with the sensational 2018 Patnagarh parcel bomb blast case, which had stunned the entire state of Odisha. Along with the life sentence, the court has also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on Meher, who was an English lecturer and the former principal of Jyoti Vikas College.

The verdict was pronounced after the court recorded statements from 62 witnesses, including the accused. Based on compelling evidence and witness testimonies, the court found Meher guilty of orchestrating the deadly attack that resulted in the deaths of newlywed Soumyasekhar Sahu and his 85-year-old grandmother Jemamani Sahu, and left Soumyasekhar’s wife Reema Rani seriously injured.

The horrific incident occurred on February 23, 2018, when the couple received a parcel, assumed to be a wedding gift. When Soumyasekhar opened it, the bomb exploded.

Investigation revealed that Meher plotted the attack as an act of revenge after Soumyasekhar’s mother, Sanjukta Sahu, replaced him as college principal. He meticulously planned the bombing, researched explosives, procured materials, and even used a fake identity to send the parcel from Raipur. After seven years, justice has finally been served in this tragic and chilling case.

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