SAMBALPUR: A day after a 20-year-old was found dead with multiple injuries near Laxmidungri hill in Khetrajpur, police on Wednesday said the youth was murdered over a triangle love affair involving a minor girl.
The deceased, Abhaya Kumar Dash, was reported missing on Monday and his injury-ridden body was recovered near Laxmidungri hill on Tuesday. Police said two youths and a 17-year-old girl were involved in Abhaya’s murder. While prime accused Ashutosh Mishra (22) of Sankara in Binka and the minor girl have been apprehended, their associate Rohit (19) of Stationpada in Khetrajpur is absconding.
Briefing mediapersons, additional SP (ASP) Ajay Kumar Mishra said the minor girl was in a love relationship with Abhaya since the last two years. Recently, Ashutosh entered into a relationship with the girl. As a result, she distanced herself from Abhaya. However, Abhaya continued to contact the girl despite her refusal. This led the girl and Ashutosh to hatch a plan to eliminate Abhaya.
Mishra said as part of the conspiracy, Ashutosh, who worked as a nursing intern at a private hospital in the city, roped in Rohit. On Monday, the minor girl called Abhaya to Laxmidungri hill on the pretext of meeting and offered him a soft drink spiked with drug. After consuming the drink, Abhaya fell unconscious.
The ASP said Ashutosh first attacked Abhaya with a knife. The minor girl then took the knife and stabbed him repeatedly. Later, Rohit smashed Abhaya’s head with a stone, resulting in his death. The accused wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. After committing the crime, the trio fled the spot, disposed of the knife, gloves and the deceased’s mobile phone in Mahanadi river to destroy evidence, he said.
Police have seized two pairs of surgical gloves, a folded knife, a surgical blade, two mobile phones, as many soft drink bottles and scientific sample exhibits during investigation. Ashutosh and the minor were produced in court. Efforts are underway to trace the absconding accused, Mishra added.