The Millennium City was shaken by a fresh bout of crime when a contractor and his associate were abducted by a gang from the busy Nuabazaar area and then shot at separate spots on Thursday evening.
The contractor, Siddharth Shankar Nayak of Alisha Bazaar, and his associate Kirti Sagar Swain of Niali area sustained multiple bullet injuries on their legs and were admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital.
According to the reports, Nayak and Swain were on their way to a Government office at Nuabazaar for some tender-related work at around 11 am when they were apprehended and forcibly taken away by the gang.
They were allegedly kept in confinement by the gang and beaten up before being taken out separately by two groups in the evening.
One group took Swain to an isolated location near Birupa bridge under Jagatpur police limits, where he was shot four times on the legs and left there.
Siddharth was brought to the SCB Medical College campus and shot twice, also on the legs, near the Mental Health Institute at around 7.30 pm, police sources said.
It is believed to be the handiwork of a organised gang active in tender-fixing. Police have started investigation but are yet to ascertain the gang involved in the crime.