BHUBANESWAR: Seven members of a family, including two women, stabbed a 21-year-old youth to death in Raghunath Nagar under Khandagiri police limits in the Capital city on Sunday night, August 29, 2021.
The victim, Sanatan Routray was overpowered by prime accused Raja Jai Singh and other members of his family after a fight. Raja stabbed Sanatan multiple times as others not only pinned him but also prevented any help from reaching the victim.
Raja, a native of Jankia in Khurda district is absconding, while the six others including two women have been arrested by police.Investigators said Raja has criminal antecedents and to evade arrest, he was staying with his uncle Baya Pradhan in Raghunath Nagar where he ran a general store. He was allegedly into selling illicit liquor. Sanatan, a mobile shop owner in the area, had a past enmity with Raja.
On Sunday night, a heated exchange ensued between Sanatan and Raja over a past dispute. Both of them were in inebriated state. Raja then went to his uncle Baya’s house and returned with a knife. Baya, his wife Bala, their son Raja and the prime accused’s three other relatives - Subhadra Sahoo and her son Mithun, and Simanchal Pradhan joined and overpowered Sanatan and his friends.
Sources said, Bala and Subhadra reportedly held Sanatan firmly so that he couldn’t escape and Raja stabbed him on his chest, abdomen and hands. The three other accused restrained Sanatan’s friends from coming to his rescue.This is the fifth murder in the city within a span of three months. Earlier, a man had allegedly killed a married woman at her rented accommodation in Bhimatangi Housing Board Colony phase-I on July 5, and a labourer was stoned to death near city’s posh Bapuji Nagar area on June 12 evening.
A youth was allegedly stabbed to death by four anti-socials near PWD Basti on June 7 night and a labourer was allegedly killed by his co-worker near Station Square on June 5.The Capital city has been witnessing a rise in murders in the last two years. In 2019, 39 murders were reported in Bhubaneswar as against 40 in 2020.