BERHAMPUR: With the arrest of three persons, police claim to have solved the murder of an anti-liquor activist in Palaspur Jani of Palaspur village in Patrapur block of Ganjam district on August 17. Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said the accused-Kaibalya Sabar (32), Parsuram Sabar (45) and Niranjan Sabar (26) had killed Brundaban Jani on August 17 and dumped his headless body in a canal. The accused are members of the liquor mafia who were against Brundaban as he was protesting the mafia, he informed.
On August 17, Brundaban left home to guard his farm at night. But when he did not return in the morning, his family started a search but failed to trace him. On August 19, Brundaban’s headless body was found in a canal and their head was recovered from a barren land 500 metre from the farm. On August 20, Brundaban’s widow Jema Sabar filed a case with police alleging her husband was murdered by the liquor mafia. During the investigation, the three accused were held.
The SP said since Brundaban was an anti-liquor activist, the accused decided to eliminate him while he was sleeping at his farm to guard his crops against wild animals. The three severed Brundaban’s head from his body with a sharp weapon. They then dumped the body in a canal and the head nearby, the SP added.
The liquor mafia from Andhra Pradesh allegedly involves tribals to make liquor in remote areas of Patrapur block.