Odisha minister's nephew arrested in girlfriend's suicide case
22 Jun 2026

Biswajit Jena, the nephew of Odisha Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, was arrested on Sunday after being charged with abetment to suicide after his girlfriend was found dead in her hostel room at a private engineering college in Ganjam district.

According to PTI, the deceased, aged 20, was a Bachelor in Computer Application (BCA) student, and was discovered hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on Saturday.

Electronic devices of both deceased, accused seized
Investigation progress

A case was registered at Golanthara police station based on a complaint by the deceased woman's maternal uncle.

The accused, Biswajit Jena (24), is also a BCA student at the same college.

Senior police officers and a scientific team visited the crime scene to collect digital evidence before Jena's arrest.

The electronic devices of both the deceased and the accused have been seized for further investigation.

BJD demands immediate arrest of Jena
Political response

The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has demanded Jena's immediate arrest, with Hindustan Times reporting former MLA Ramesh Chandra Ayyau Patnaik saying, "The police must arrest the accused, notwithstanding his relationship with the minister. The law must take its own course."

Rajeswari Dora, deputy chairman of Ganjam Zilla Parishad, also called for Jena's immediate arrest.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Ganjam district president, Saroj Sabat, said police are investigating the case.

Investigation is ongoing
Awaiting results

The police have stated that the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem report is received.

Neither Minister Jena nor any family members have commented on the incident so far.

A senior police officer was quoted as saying that the investigation is ongoing and appropriate action will be taken based on its findings.

Please seek help if you're having suicidal thoughts
Helpline

If you or anyone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Its number is 022-27546669 (24 hours).

You can also dial Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +91-83222-52525.

Sneha India Foundation, which works 24x7, can be contacted at +91-44246-40050, while Vandrevala Foundation's helpline number is +91-99996-66555 (call and WhatsApp).