BERHAMPUR: Three brutal killings within a span of 24 hours have rocked Ganjam which is already witnessing outrage over the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Sanakhemundi block of the district.
Two siblings were allegedly murdered and their bodies set ablaze within Beguniapada police limits on Saturday night. The deceased were identified as Sanjay Barik (27) and Ajay Barik (25) of Sumandal village. The duo had recently been acquitted in a murder case of a local leader.
Ganjam SP Suvendu Patra said their half-burnt bodies were found near Merainga village within Khallikote police limits on Sunday morning. Circumstantial evidence suggests that the brothers were killed in Beguniapada forest before their bodies were dumped and set ablaze near Merainga to destroy evidence. Police suspect the murder was linked to previous enmity.
Patra said initial investigation revealed that a group of people assaulted the brothers with lathis and stones, reportedly due to their involvement in a recent dispute over illegal excise trade in Shalaban and Sumandal areas.
The bodies of the deceased were sent to the hospital for postmortem. Additional police force has been deployed in the area to prevent any flare-up. Investigation is underway to identify and nab the killers, he added.
Similarly, a 30-year-old man was allegedly killed by his elder brother over a property dispute in Bramhanapadar village within Tarasing police limits in the district on Saturday night.
The deceased was identified as Balaram Gouda. The accused, Shankar Gouda, has been arrested by police.
The SP said the murder took place due to a long-standing feud over ancestral property. Shankar had attacked Balaram last year.
After recovering from his injuries, Balaram moved to Bhanjanagar with his family. Shankar had separated from his parents and was living in another house in Bramhanapadar.
On Saturday evening, Balaram visited his parents’ house with his wife Sumitra and went out for a stroll at around 10 pm. Seeing Balaram alone, Shankar and his family members caught him, tied him to a tree, and assaulted him with lathis.
When Balaram did not return home, Sumitra went looking for him and found him tied to the tree and unconscious. She immediately alerted the police who rushed him to the nearby hospital. However, Balaram was declared dead.
Patra said police registered a murder case and arrested Shankar. “We are also questioning the accused’s wife and son in connection with the incident,” he added.
On Friday, a four-year-old girl was reportedly raped and murdered in an under-construction anganwadi centre at Khalingi village in Sanakhemundi. Police have arrested a relative of the girl for the crime.