Bhubaneswar: The wife of slain social media blogger Rahul Maharana alleged on Monday that his killing was the result of a well-orchestrated conspiracy, rejecting police claims that it stemmed from a trivial altercation.Speaking to reporters, Maharana’s wife, Divine Divyadarshini Das, suggested that the murder may be linked to a prior parking dispute involving five persons, including a woman. She said she had lodged a complaint with Mancheswar police on Sept 10, 2025, after the group quarreled with her husband when he asked them not to park their car outside the couple’s business unit.“Police refused to mention this dispute in the FIR related to my husband’s murder. I strongly suspect that the killing is connected to that incident. It appears police are trying to cover up the investigation,” Das alleged.She also questioned the police narrative of the crime. “Police claim the three accused attacked my husband after he intervened in a quarrel involving his friend, who was speaking loudly over the phone. But why did they not target his friend, who was supposedly the cause of the dispute? His whereabouts remain unknown,” she said.Police, however, dismissed her allegations. “Our investigation is on the right track. We have evidence against the three accused—Sangram Keshari Behera (37), a jawan posted in Jammu & Kashmir, and his nephews Samarendra Behera (20) and Sangram Behera (24). They were strangers to the victim,” said an officer from Mancheswar police station. He added that three of Maharana’s friends, who were present at the scene, have testified to the involvement of the accused.According to police, the trouble began when one of Maharana’s friends spoke loudly on the phone at a playground in GGP Colony, disturbing the trio seated nearby. “It was not a premeditated crime. The murder arose from sudden provocation during the altercation,” the officer said.Liquor bottles and glasses were recovered from the crime scene, though police have not confirmed whether either group was drinking. The items have been sent for forensic and fingerprint examination. Investigators also noted that none of the accused had any prior criminal record.
