City Police arrested four youths in connection with murder of 25-year-old M Pharma student Manmohan Pradhan at Chintamaniswar area here on Monday. Four other accused are still at large. Special squads of the Commissionerate Police are conducting raids to nab the rest, a spokesperson said. The four arrested have been identified as Swadhin Swain, Rajesh Badra, Kamal Rout and Munna Rout. All, except Rajesh, are local residents.
It was over a trivial issue of smoking that led to the tragic incident, investigation has revealed. Manmohan had come to Chintamaniswar on Monday to mediate in a fallout between his friend Laxmi Narayan Rout and those with whom he later shared the house.
In fact, Laxmi had objected to smoking by the fellow tenants and had also lodged a complaint following which landlord Premananda Parida had intervened. This had led to bad blood and the rival group went to Laxmi’s room and smoked right in his face on Monday. This is when he sought Manmohan’s help.
Police said Manmohan went to his friend’s place Chintamaniswar while the rival group also called in their supporters. When the two groups had a face-off, Parida intervened and sent the outsiders, including Manmohan, away saying the two tenant groups had settled the issue between themselves.
However, on their way back, both sides had an altercation and Manmohan was clearly outnumbered and was killed in cold blood.
Manmohan, a second year student of Jayadev College of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Naharkanta, was stabbed in the chest. He was rushed to Capital Hospital where he was received dead.