BERHAMPUR: Ganjam is witnessing a sudden spurt in violent crimes with the district reporting its sixth murder in the last four days.
On Tuesday, a 30-year-old man was found murdered on the roadside with his throat slit in K Nuagaon police limits of Berhampur. The deceased was identified as Balaram Mahankuda of Rampur village in Chikiti block. Balaram used to work at Chennai and had returned to his village three months back.
Sources said Balaram had married a divorcee of Jalantar village in Andhra Pradesh. Since the last around six months, his wife was reportedly pressurising him for divorce. This forced Balaram to return to his village and start a business.
On Monday, Balaram went to meet his sister at her in-laws’ place in Chikiti. When he did not return home till late in the night, his father Balmiki tried to contact him. However, his cellphone was switched off. Balaram’s sister informed Balmiki that he left Chikiti in the evening.
On Tuesday morning, some passersby found Balaram’s body lying in a pool of blood along Balakumari shrine road. On being informed, Chikiti SDPO Biswamitra Harpal along with K Nuagaon IIC Kishore Samal rushed to the spot. Later, a scientific team with sniffer dog also arrived for investigation. The team reportedly recovered a blood-stained knife and a slipper from the spot. Balaram’s motorcycle was parked around 50 metre away from the spot.
Villagers suspected that Balaram’s in-laws might be involved in his murder as his wife was pressurising him for divorce. Besides, it is possible that Balaram might have picked up a fight with someone as he used to consume liquor regularly.
IIC Samal said the body was seized for postmortem. Four suspects have been detained for questioning. Police are investigating the case from all angles.
Incidently, this is the sixth murder in Ganjam in the last four days. On Friday night, a four-year-old girl was raped and murdered in an under-construction anganwadi centre at Khalingi village in Sanakhemundi block.
On Saturday night, two siblings were allegedly murdered and their bodies set ablaze in Beguniapada. The same night, a 30-year-old man was reportedly killed by his elder brother over a property dispute in Bramhanapadar village within Tarasing police limits.
Similarly, an elderly man was beaten to death by his son over a family dispute at Purusottampur in the district on Monday evening.