3 actresses killed as SUV hits tree in Odisha

KENDRAPADA: Three stage actresses were killed and three others sustained injuries after an SUV in which they were travelling hit a roadside tree at Ostapur chowk on the Kendrapada-Gandakhia road in Kendrapada district early on Monday morning.

Police suspect the driver might have dozed off at the wheel.

The deceased were identified as Jyotsnarani Paramanik (28) of Bhograi in Balasore district, Rajalaxmi Rout (29) of Bailashi mouza in Cuttack district and Babyrani Dash (26) of Sahada village in Bhadrak district.

The women suffered critical head injuries and died on the spot, police said. The driver of the SUV and two other actresses were injured. They were going to Kendrapada bus stand to return to their villages after taking part in rehearsals for a play to be staged on Sunday night at Naranapur village when the accident occurred.

Residents of Naranapur had invited them to stage a play in the village on the occasion of Mahashivratri on March 8. The loud sound of the four-wheeler hitting the tree brought local residents out of their homes and they subsequently pulled out the victims from the mangled SUV.


Babyrani Dash (26) was deeply affected through her growing years by her parents' constant struggle to make ends meet for their two sons and three daughters.

Determined to give her parents a better life, Babyrani, a resident of Sahada village in Bhadrak district, made her acting debut at 18 by joining a jatra troupe. She also drew praise for her role as a lady police officer in the TV serial Jhili. But her dream to make it big on the silver screen died on Monday when the SUV carrying five artists hit a roadside tree, killing three actresses, including Babyrani.

Bidutya Ranjan Das (30), her elder brother, sat frozen with shock and disbelief in front of the autopsy room of the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapada on Monday. He was unable to speak ever since he learnt the death of his sister. "She was a good actress. Last month, an Odiya film producer assured her that he would give her a role in a film for which she was on cloud nine. But her dream, like her young life, was cut short by the accident," said Ramesh Das (43) a relative of Babyrani.

Sagar Paramanik (34), the elder brother of Jyotsnarani Paramanik (28), was inconsolable in front of the autopsy room at Kendrapada. "I never thought I will have to see such a day. My sister studied in Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Bhubaneswar and learnt acting, dance and music. She acted in many jatras, dramas and TV serials. She had a dream to act in an Odiya film. She was too young to die," he said. Tears were rolling down the cheeks of many relatives of Rajalaxmi Rout (29) of Bailashi Mouza in Cuttack district in the hospital at Kendrapada as they came to take away her body. "Rajalaxmi wanted nothing more than to act in jatras, dramas and TV serials so that she could stay connected with people. After an eventful stint of nearly 10 years in various jatra troupes, she was looking forward to a role in a film," a relative said.