SALEPUR: Panic gripped the busy Adaspur market under Olatpur police limits on Tuesday after a group of men opened fire at a potato trader, injuring him seriously.
The trader, Gagan Sahoo (55), has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
Sources said Sahoo was in his godown when three youths came on a bike and one of them entered the godown.
Soon after, there was heated exchange of words between Sahoo and the youth in the godown over extortion. When Sahoo refused to pay, the miscreant opened fire at him. While one bullet hit his left leg, two others missed the target.
Later, the three fled from the spot towards Niali, said eyewitnesses.
It is learnt that a group of anti-socials have been demanding extortion money from Sahoo, who had been resisting them. Annoyed with the denial, they had hurled bombs at his godown at least four times during the last one and a half years. On November 9, they had hurled two bombs at his house too but none was injured.
Though Sahoo had filed FIRs in this regard at local police station, no action was taken by the police.