JAGATSINGHPUR: A Congress member of Noliasahi village under Abhyachandpur police limits was murdered over political rivalry here on Monday. The deceased is 45-year-old Lachman Behera.
His family members have blamed the local BJD workers behind the killing. Irate women of the village staged road blockade after detaining polling personnel along with EVMs demanding immediate arrest of the accused persons.
Lachman was a BJD worker but had recently quit the ruling party to join Congress. He decided to quit the BJD when he did not receive benefits under Government sponsored schemes. However, this did not go down well with the local party workers who had threatened him and his family members.
Lachman’s family members alleged that local BJD workers holding allegiance to Biju Yuva Bahini had threatened them with dire consequences if he joined or voted in favour of Congress. However, unfazed by the threat, Lachman joined the Congress party and participated in campaigning for the party candidate.
On Monday, Behera was returning home after casting his vote at Noliasahi Project Upper Primary School when BJD members led by Kuna Behera stopped him. Behera then abused him and when Lachman protested, the former allegedly broke a glass bottle, stabbed him with it and fled. A critically injured Lachman managed to reach his house. His family members admitted him to Kujang Hospital and he died while being shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
Following the incident, Kuna was trying to flee the village when a homeguard managed to catch hold of him. However, some members of Biju Yuva Bahini allegedly managed to get Kuna released from his custody and helped him escape.
Protesting the killing, irate women of Noliasahi staged demonstration and road blockade.IIC of Abhaychandpur police station Yugal Kishore Das said no police complaint has been lodged in this regard yet.