BHUBANESWAR/BARGARH : An auto-rickshaw driver was stabbed to death, barely metres away from the two polling booths in Bargarh district’s Sarsara village when voting was underway for fifth phase elections on Monday.
The murder took place about 300 metre to 400 metre away from polling booths 128 and 129 in Sarsara village within Sadar police limits in Bargarh district. The deceased was identified as Biswa Mirdhank.
Chief electoral officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, however, said the incident was not poll-related. It was personal enmity which led to the incident. Additional central armed police forces were rushed to the spot.
Police said Mirdhank was attacked with a sharp weapon by the accused Ashok Mahanand. Unconfirmed sources said Mirdhank was engaged in picking up and dropping elderly citizens and differently-abled persons at the polling booths.
CEO Dhal said special teams have been constituted to nab the accused who would be arrested soon. IG (northern range) Himanshu Kumar Lal and Bargarh SP Prahalad Sahai Meena rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. He added that polling was normal at the two booths.
“Previous enmity between Mirdhank and Mahanand triggered the crime and police are further investigating the matter,” said Bargarh district election officer and collector Aditya Goyal.
He said that voting was continuing peacefully in both the polling booths.
Initial investigations revealed the duo had a heated exchange a few minutes before the crime took place, police sources said.
“Accused Mahanand and Mridhank have no political links. Mahanand had previous enmity with Mridhank and he attacked him over sudden provocation,” said Lal.
Police said Mahanand was possibly under the influence of alcohol when he committed the crime.