PARADIP: Police are yet to make any headway in the murder case of Mahendra Swain, the manager of an Andhra Pradesh-based shipping company Seaways Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd (SSPL).
While a police complaint has been filed by brother of Swain, Rajkishore, against owner of Orissa Stevedores Ltd (OSL), Mahimananda Mishra and some other workers of the company for their alleged involvement in the murder, the district unit of BJP has decided to gherao the Paradip police station on Friday protesting deteriorating law and order situation in the town. Rajkishore alleged that Swain had past rivalry with the owner and some employees of OSL over stevedoring work in the Paradip Port. An FIR has been registered.
At around 9.30 am on Wednesday, four motorcycle-borne unidentified miscreants intercepted the vehicle of Swain at Madhuban near Central School in Paradip town. The miscreants hurled two bombs at the SUV. Swain, his bodyguard and driver managed to get out of the vehicle and tried to flee when the miscreants fired two rounds. One of the bullets hit Swain on his head and another his ear. His bodyguard and driver escaped unhurt. Locals and employees of SSPL rushed Swain to Biju Memorial Hospital at Atharbanki but doctors declared him brought dead. IIC of Paradip police station, Subrahansu Sekhar Nayak said police have interrogated both the driver and bodyguard and four police teams including a technical team have been formed to solve the murder mystery.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders Nirmal Swain and Kailash Sahoo have criticised local police and legislator Damodar Rout for the rising incidents of crime in the district.