Two men allegedly killed family members in separate incidents of domestic violence in Bhubaneswar and Bhadrak district of Odisha in the early hours of Wednesday, 16 September 2026, according to police officials. In the first case, a woman was strangled to death by her husband following an alcohol-fuelled argument; in the second, a man died after his younger brother hurled a homemade bomb at him during a brawl.

Wife Strangled in Bhadrak

The first incident occurred at Paikarapur village under the Chandbali police station area of Bhadrak district. The deceased, Kamalini Pati, 40, was allegedly strangled to death by her husband, Bijay Pati, in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.

According to local sources, Bijay, a daily-wage labourer, had been away from home for two days before returning drunk on Tuesday night. The couple got into a heated argument that turned violent, with Bijay allegedly strangling Kamalini to death in a fit of rage. The couple had three children.

A neighbour told reporters, 'The accused husband committed the crime while under the influence of alcohol. He used to get into fights with the deceased almost every other day. When we asked, he confessed to killing his wife following a quarrel.' Bijay reportedly disclosed the matter himself to relatives and villagers, who then alerted the police. He has since been detained by Chandbali police for further interrogation.

Brother Killed in Bomb Attack in Bhubaneswar

The second incident took place at Mahula village under the Chandaka police station area of Bhubaneswar late on Tuesday night. Two brothers, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, got into an altercation that escalated when they began hurling handmade bombs at each other.

The elder brother, Mohan Padhi, died in the attack, while the younger brother, Madan Padhi, suffered a severed hand and is currently undergoing treatment at Capital Hospital.

Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagmohan Meena said, 'As per preliminary information, a fight broke out between the two brothers over a trivial matter. They later hurled handmade bombs at each other. It was also ascertained that, as the village is located in a forested area, the siblings had kept the bombs to scare away wild animals.'

Police Response and Investigation

Officers from both Chandbali and Chandaka police stations reached the respective scenes promptly and launched parallel investigations. While Bijay Pati has been detained in the Bhadrak case, the Bhubaneswar case involving Madan Padhi — currently hospitalised — is under active investigation, with authorities yet to formally detail charges.

Notably, both incidents share a common thread: alcohol consumption and altercations between family members that escalated to lethal violence within hours. This comes amid growing concern about domestic violence patterns and the availability of improvised explosive devices in rural Odisha.

What Comes Next

Police in both districts are expected to file formal charges upon completing their preliminary investigations. The condition of Madan Padhi at Capital Hospital will be critical to determining the legal proceedings in the Bhubaneswar case. The three children of Kamalini Pati are now without their mother, and local authorities have not yet indicated what support measures, if any, will be extended to the family.