ROURKELA: A manager of Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) was found murdered in the company’s guesthouse at Barsuan in Sundargarh’s Lahunipada on Monday. The deceased was identified as 60-year-old Motilal Pal, the logistics manager at Barsuan railway siding of JSPL’s TRB mines. Sources said he was bludgeoned to death by unidentified miscreants with a hard object. A native of Uttar Pradesh, Pal was staying alone at the JSPL guesthouse.
Bonai sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Swaraj Debata said Pal was staying in one of the two rooms of the guesthouse which also has a dinning hall. The caretaker-cum-cook was sleeping in a room behind the guesthouse.
The miscreants reportedly smashed Pal’s head and face with a blunt object on Sunday night. The next morning, the caretaker found him lying dead in a pool of blood when he went to his room to serve tea.
The SDPO said the caretaker of the guesthouse is being questioned. As Pal was the logistics manager at the railway siding, he had strained relationship with some labourers. It is believed that past enmity could be the reason behind his murder.
“Investigation is underway from all angles to crack the murder mystery. Postmortem will be conducted on Tuesday. Pal’s family members have been informed and they are on way to Barsuan from UP,” Debata added.