BHUBANESWAR: In a grim pointer to the plunging law and order situation in Puri, turf war between two groups of anti-socials played out in open in the streets of Kanas on Saturday when a hardcore criminal was brutally assaulted and mowed down by members of a rival gang reportedly over competition to establish supremacy in the area.
The injured, Mrutyunjay Bharimalla was attacked by at least five goons. He was stabbed before being run over by a bike by members of the rival gang even as people watched. The shocking incident, which occurred at around 9 am on Saturday, went viral on Sunday.
Initial investigation revealed Bharimalla had recently threatened of shooting the leader of the rival gang. The enmity between the duo had escalated in the recent months as they both aimed to become neighbourhood gangster or don and dominate the area.
Owing to the ongoing feud, members of the rival gang chased Bharimalla in broad daylight near a busy fish market and stabbed him with a vegetable cutter, sparking panic in the locality. They kept attacking Bharimalla even after he dropped on the road. The brutality went on as one of the anti-socials continued kicking Bharimalla. The rival members left only after running over their Royal Enfield Bullet on him, leaving Bharimalla writhing in pain and gasping for breath.
However, no local came forward to rescue him from the severe assault. Police arrived at the crime scene much later and took Bharimalla to a hospital.
One of the passersby recorded the entire incident on his mobile phone. In the video, his bloodstains could be seen on the white shirt of one of the accused.
The incident, meanwhile, triggered panic with many wondering if the assault in a public place was meant to create a sense of fear in the locality. The brazen violence has flagged the rising criminal activities and gang violence in Puri district, with people questioning the law and order situation.
Police said Bharimalla and the accused have criminal antecedents. Bharimalla had attacked the sarpanch a few years back and has since been under the police radar for his involvement in various anti-socials activities, sources said.
“Prima facie, it appears Bharimalla was targeted by the leader of the rival gang. Both the victim and the prime accused have seven to eight cases registered against them in the past,” said Puri SP, Prateek Singh.
A case has been registered and special teams have been formed to apprehend all the accused involved in the crime, he added.