BERHAMPUR: A week after BJD leader and sitting councillor of Chhatrapur NAC Laxmidutta Pradhan was hacked to death in broad daylight, police on Friday arrested eight of the killers. The arrested are Pravat Kumar Nayak (24), Surya Kumar Nayak (30), Prem Kumar Nayak (22), N Iswar Reddy (19), Kuna Nayak(20), Jiten Kumar Nayak (20), Sushil Nayak (28) and Prashant Swain.
Addressing mediapersons, Ganjam SP Ashish Singh said the eight were arrested from different places in Bhubaneswar. Police also seized a blood-stained sword, one wooden baton and a plastic pipe used in the crime besides three bikes and a car from them.Singh said there was a wider conspiracy and previous enmity behind the murder of the BJD leader. Stating that the murder was well-planned, he said after committing the crime, Prashant took the other seven in a car to Bhubaneswar. Basing on the footage of CCTV camera installed at Laxmidutta’s house at Surya Nagar in Chhatrapur, the accused were tracked down, the SP said.
Police have formed three teams to nab the killers while two Additional SPs, three SDPOs and five Inspectors are investigating into the matter. Police will appeal to the court to take Pravat, Surya, Prem and Jiten on a five-day remand for interrogation, Singh said. “A manhunt is on to nab others involved in the murder. They will be arrested and the murder mystery solved soon,” the SP added.
On September 16, Laxmidutta was engaged in a discussion with some youths in front of his house when a group of armed men attacked the BJD leader and brutally hacked him to death. The murder was captured in CCTV camera.The murder had triggered a State-wide uproar. The BJD leaders, including Chhatrapur MLA and elected representatives, had pointed fingers at the BJP for the murder.