BHUBANESWAR:A 25-year-old youth was found dead in his house at Sabar Sahi under Nayapalli police limits on Tuesday.
The youth identified as Shatrughan Behera was found unconscious by his mother Mukta early in the morning. She rushed him to the hospital where he was declared dead.
Mukta alleged that her son was assaulted by the owner of a restaurant located near Kalinga Stadium on Monday night because of which he died. Behera was dropped near the house by a PCR van, she said adding, “My son’s life could have been saved if he was taken to a hospital first.”
Police said Behera was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He used to extort money from local businessmen to meet his needs.
The restaurant owner Babaji Khan’s brother Nasir said Behera came to the restaurant in an inebriated condition and refused to pay the bill after having his dinner. “We sought help from a PCR van which was patrolling the area,” he said.
A murder case was registered in this connection at Sahid Nagar police station and a forensic team went to Behera’s residence to investigate the matter, Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said.
“Since there were no external injuries on his body, we suspect Behera died because of drug overdose. We are waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death,” Sharma added. Meanwhile, Babaji and Nasir have been detained by the police.