Former Odisha Principal Sentenced to Life for Deadly Wedding Gift Bomb Killing Newlywed

A former college principal from Odisha has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sending a parcel bomb that killed a newlywed man and his great-aunt in 2018.

Fatal Bomb Hidden in Wedding Gift

The tragic incident occurred when Soumya Sekhar Sahu, a 26-year-old software engineer, and his wife Reema received a parcel disguised as a wedding gift at their home, just days after their marriage. Upon opening the package, it exploded, killing Sahu and his 85-year-old great-aunt Jemamani Sahu. Reema survived but suffered critical injuries including severe burns and trauma.

The Accused and Investigation

Punjilal Meher, aged 56 and a former college principal where Soumya’s mother worked, was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and using explosives in this brutal attack. Although the court acknowledged the severity of the crime, it did not label it “rarest of the rare” to impose the death penalty.

The bomb was sent from Raipur, nearly 230 km away, under a fake name and was delivered after traveling over 650 km by bus through multiple hands, bypassing CCTV and parcel scanning.

Motive and Evidence

Investigations revealed a deep professional rivalry between Meher and Soumya’s family. The bomb’s crude but deadly design was rigged to detonate upon opening. Weeks of police work included analyzing thousands of phone records and questioning over 100 individuals, but progress was limited until an anonymous letter shifted the case forward.

The letter, sent to the police chief, indicated the bomb was mailed by “SK Sinha” (not Sharma as initially thought), and hinted at betrayal and money as motives. Police suspected the letter was a deliberate clue sent by the perpetrator.

Handwriting experts linked the letter to Meher, whose rivalry with the victim’s family had previously been dismissed as routine workplace politics.

Confession and Arrest

Under police interrogation, Meher eventually admitted to constructing the bomb using gunpowder extracted from firecrackers. He mailed the explosive package from Raipur, carefully avoiding CCTV and creating an alibi by leaving his phone behind. Shockingly, he attended both the wedding and the victim’s funeral.

This case, known as the “wedding bomb” incident, sent shockwaves across India and highlighted the deadly consequences of personal grudges.