BHUBANESWAR: A 45-year-old farmer of Abhimanpur village under Begunia police limits in Khurda district was lynched to death by eight persons over a trivial issue of not attending a meeting on Sunday.While the deceased is Satyabrata Nayak, police on Tuesday arrested six persons including the prime accused Swapneswar Nayak of Khurda district’s Dingar village for their alleged involvement in the brutal murder. They were produced in Khurda court on Wednesday. Two other accused are absconding.
Swapneswar is a local political leader and used to hold frequent meetings related to tribal rights in his village and neighbouring areas. Satyabrata and his family members were known to Swapneswar.According to the FIR, all the eight accused had not only beaten Satyabrata to death on Sunday but also forced his nephew Basant Nayak to perform his last rites in an attempt to destroy evidence and evade arrest.
Swapneswar had asked Satyabrata to invite his brother-in-law Beleswar Nayak, a school teacher, to attend his meeting in the village recently. But Satyabrata told him that his brother-in-law was not interested in attending it.Outraged, Swapneswar and his associates forced Satyabrata to kneel down in his village on August 1 as punishment.
They then took him to Karadagadia, 20 km away, under Khurda Sadar police limits later in the evening and thrashed him to death at one of the accused Tulu Nayak’s house in the village.One of them then returned to Abhimanpur at about 10 am on Monday and asked Satyabrata’s nephew Basant Nayak to accompany him to Karadagadia on his motorcycle. When Basant reached the spot, he found out that the accused had arranged for Satyabrata’s funeral.
They then snatched away the mobile phone of Basant to ensure that he did not inform anyone about the incident. After forcing Basant to perform the last rites, they released him.Basant returned to his village and lodged a complaint with Begunia police on Monday evening.
A case was registered under Sections 201, 302, 363, 364, 379, 506 and 34 of IPC. Six accused persons including Swapneswar, Tulu, Jogeswar Nayak and Baikuntha Nayak of Khurda district have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab the two others involved in the crime, said an officer of Begunia police station.Sources said that Swapneswar had filed nomination for the Pipili bypoll as an Independent candidate.