BHUBANESWAR: Jatni police on Saturday arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly stabbing his neighbour to death following prolonged harassment and public humiliation over the latter’s demands for money to buy alcohol.
The incident occurred in Khudupur village within Jatni police limits at around 10.30 pm on Friday. The accused Maheswar Harichandan and the deceased Markanda Baliarsingh (40) of Khudupur village were neighbours. Baliarsingh worked as a helper in the Energy department in Harirajpur while Harichandan was an auto-rickshaw driver.
As per police, Harichandan had purchased a new auto-rickshaw about two months back. Baliarsingh, who was reportedly an alcoholic, frequently abused him and demanded money for liquor. He would often stop the accused on the village road and harass him.
On Friday evening, Harichandan visited Dukhia Bar in Jatni where Baliarsingh along with another villager was consuming alcohol. On seeing Harichandan, Baliarsingh reportedly asked him to buy drinks as he had purchased a new auto-rickshaw.
However, when Harichandan refused citing lack of money, Baliarsingh allegedly abused him in filthy language in front of everyone. Feeling humiliated, the former left the spot. Later in the night at around 10 pm, a drunk Baliarsingh reportedly went near Harichandan’s house, sat under a tree and again demanded alcohol from him. Despite being given liquor by Harichandan, he continued to hurl abuses at the former.
Enraged over the matter, Harichandan brought a vegetable chopping knife from his house and stabbed Baliarsingh multiple times on his abdomen and chest. He collapsed on the road along with his motorcycle, said police.
On receiving the information, Jatni police reached the spot and rushed Baliarsingh to a hospital where doctors declared him received dead.
After committing the crime, the accused hid the weapon of offence under a stone near the scene to destroy evidence, said police.
“Harichandan was nabbed a few hours later and the knife was seized. He confessed to the crime, stating that repeated harassment, public humiliation and constant illegal demands for money had become unbearable,” said an officer of Jatni police station adding, further investigation was underway.