In a case that shocked Odisha and the nation, a six-year-long legal battle concluded yesterday with the conviction and life sentence of Punjilal Meher, a college lecturer turned bomber. The 2018 Patnagarh parcel bomb case, where a wedding gift turned deadly, has finally reached a decisive judicial end. The twisted motive behind the crime—a professional grudge—adds a disturbing layer to the tragedy.

Bhubaneswar Court Sends Punjilal Meher to Jail for Life in Parcel Bomb Case

The Additional District Judge Court in Balangir on Tuesday handed down a life sentence to Punjilal Meher, the main accused in the 2018 Patnagarh parcel bomb explosion that killed a newlywed man and his grandmother. The verdict brings closure to one of the most complex and gruesome murder cases in the state’s recent memory.

On February 23, 2018, just days after his wedding, Soumyasekhar Sahu received a parcel at his residence in Patnagarh. The package, disguised as a wedding gift, contained a powerful improvised explosive device (IED). Upon opening it, the bomb exploded—killing Soumyasekhar, his grandmother Jemamani, and injuring his wife Reema.

Arun Bothra: “Most Complicated Case of My Life”

Senior IPS officer Arun Bothra, who led the Crime Branch investigation, spoke out after the verdict. In a statement to the media, he called it the “most complicated case of my life.”

“Just days after the wedding... a parcel arrived, and the groom opened it, only for a powerful explosion to rip through the room,” Bothra recalled. “Our team worked tirelessly to track down how the bomb was made, where it came from, and who could have done this.”

The twist? Punjilal Meher, a lecturer at the college where Soumyasekhar’s mother was principal, had harbored a long-standing grudge. His ambitions to become principal were reportedly thwarted when she was appointed instead. This professional jealousy, investigators say, festered into a murder plot.

Crime Fueled by Jealousy, Aided by YouTube

What makes the case even more chilling is how methodical and cold-blooded Meher was in planning the attack. Investigators revealed that he learned how to assemble a bomb by watching YouTube videos—a detail that stunned even seasoned officers.

He crafted the bomb himself, packed it in a parcel, and used a fake courier trail to mislead authorities. The breakthrough came only after forensic trails and digital surveillance linked the plot back to him.

Public Outcry and the Call for Justice

The brutality of the crime and its shocking motive—a grudge against a colleague’s family—sparked widespread outrage back in 2018. The public was baffled that a highly educated man could turn to such an extreme act of violence.

The sentencing now brings long-awaited justice to the bereaved family and reaffirms the judicial system’s ability to resolve even the most complex cases.

A Cautionary Tale of Ego and Obsession

The Patnagarh parcel bomb case is more than just a crime story—it’s a cautionary tale of what unchecked ambition and personal vendetta can lead to. With the court’s life sentence, justice has been served, but the trauma inflicted on the Sahu family—and the town of Patnagarh—won’t be forgotten anytime so