DHENKANAL: A 32-year-old man was brutally murdered by a group of miscreants due to business rivalry over supply of sand at Karigara Sahi in Dhenkanal town on Sunday night.
The deceased was identified as Maheswar Behera, a sand trader of Karigara Sahi. Police have detained seven persons in connection with the murder which took place at around 11.30 pm.
Police sources said Maheswar was sitting on the veranda of Karigara Sahi school when at least 14 armed miscreants arrived on the spot and started to attack him without any provocation.
One of the miscreants also opened fire at him. Maheswar sustained gunshot injury on the neck and tried to escape from the spot. However, the miscreants caught him after a brief chase and mercilessly bludgeoned him to death with stones.
The miscreants fled the scene leaving Maheswar in a pool of blood. Villagers rushed him to Dhenkanal district headquarters hospital where the doctor declared him brought dead.
Later, Maheswar’s wife lodged a complaint in Dhenkanal Town police station in this connection. A murder case was registered on basis of the complaint.
Additional SP Suryamani Pradhan said police nabbed two of the suspects after conducting raids at several locations on Sunday night. The next morning, a team led by Dhenkanal Town IIC Prabhat Sahoo apprehended seven other suspects.
The murder was a fallout of a dispute over supply of sand. Further investigation is underway and other culprits involved in the crime would be nabbed soon, Pradhan added.
Meanwhile on Monday, residents of Karigara Sahi resorted to road blockade at Sasan chowk in the town demanding immediate arrest of all the culprits and compensation for Maheswar’s family. The blockade was lifted after local administrative officials held discussion with the agitators and pacified them. The deceased’s family was provided Rs 20,000 from the district Red Cross fund.