DHENKANAL: The main accused in a murder case was reportedly shot dead by unidentified miscreants on the outskirts of Kamakhyanagar town here on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as 38-year-old businessman Niranjan Sahoo of Kantiaputa Sahi village under Tumusingha police station. Sahoo was accused of killing Baruan panchayat samiti member Dipak Mahanta who was murdered in 2021. He was arrested the same year and released on bail four months back. Sahoo was involved in the sand quarry business.
Sources said the businessman’s bullet-ridden body was spotted by locals in an isolated location on Kamakhyanagar town outskirts on Thursday morning. On being informed, police reached the spot with a scientific team and dog squad for investigation.
Additional SP (ASP) Suryamani Pradhan said, the place where Sahoo’s body was found is located around 7 km away from Kamakhyanagar police station. There were three bullet wounds on Sahoo’s body including one in his head and another in neck. It is believed that the miscreants called Sahoo to the secluded place in the night and shot him at point-blank range. He died instantly. After committing the crime, the culprits stole Sahoo’s car in which he had come to the spot, informed Pradhan.
Later on Thursday, Dhenkanal SP Gyanaranjan Mohapatra, Kamakhyanagar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Prabhat Tripathy and IIC Sarat Mahalik visited the crime scene. Sources said though a scientific team and dog squad scoured the area, police could not get any clue about the culprits.
The ASP said a case was registered and two police teams have been formed to hunt the killers. “Police have found the stolen car of Sahoo at Chaibasa in Jharkhand. We are hopeful of identifying the culprits and nabbing them soon,” Pradhan added. Though the exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, it is believed that Sahoo was killed over past enmity.