BHUBANESWAR: Police on Saturday arrested three persons including a home guard for allegedly murdering a realtor over a land dispute. The accused have been identified as Sukanta Behera (41), a home guard posted in Khandagiri police station, Manoj Behera (31) and Gulu Mohanty (34). The deceased is 47-year-old Sasmit Biswal. Police said prime accused Tulu Mohanty, a native of Padhansahi, and a few of his other aides who were involved in killing Sasmit are on the run.
The incident took place on Friday afternoon when at least seven persons including Tulu bludgeoned Sasmit to death and disposed of his body in a cashew orchard near Jamukoli village within Airfield police limits before fleeing. Police said Tulu and Sasmit used to work as partners earlier, and sold land under Padhansahi mouza but later parted ways. However, Sasmit continued to engage in purchase and sale of land in Padhansahi, and Tulu considered him a threat to his business. Sasmit had reportedly purchased a land in front of Sukanta’s plot in Padhansahi.
However, since he had no land to construct a road to his plot, he paid Rs 39 lakh to Sukanta to purchase a portion of his land but the latter neither executed the deal or refunded the money. After receiving a complaint in this connection from Sasmit, Badagada police registered a cheating case against Sukanta in June last year. In December last year, police again registered a separate case against Tulu and his supporters for allegedly vandalising the boundary wall of another plot of Sasmit in Padhansahi and stealing the bricks.
On Friday, the accused returned Sasmit’s stolen bricks to him in front of police and there was a brief altercation between both the groups. The situation was, however, brought under control with police intervention. But, just as the cops left, the anti-socials attacked Sasmit following which he succumbed. “The murder was a fallout of a land dispute. Efforts are on to nab the other accused involved in the crime,” said DCP, Jagmohan Meena.