
CUTTACK: A 24-year-old youth who was allegedly brutally assaulted by a group of 11 people over past enmity in Banki on January 14 succumbed to his injuries at SCB Medical College and hospital here on Wednesday. Police meanwhile have arrested six of the accused persons so far.
The deceased has been identified as Sumant Kumar Sahoo of Gobindpur Ratagarh in the block. He had gone to witness the Makar Yatra at Bada Bandiani Thakurani temple in the area on January 14. As he was returning home in his motorcycle at about 5.30 pm, the rival group intercepted him and assaulted him mercilessly.
On being informed by some passersby, his mother Sushama Sahoo rushed to the spot along with her daughter and found her son lying on his back and the accused kicking his chest. The mother daughter duo managed to rescue him from their clutches. But as he had sustained critical injuries, he was admitted to the SCBMCH where he succumbed during treatment on Wednesday.
Sushama had filed a complaint with police on the incident and identified all the 11 people involved in the fatal assault on Sumanta. Acting on the FIR, police registered a murder case and arrested six of the accused - Naresh Swain (32), Pranabandhu Swain (28), Rakesh Rout (27), Dinesh Rout (25), Rakesh Swain (26) and Sushant Rout (30) of Sahanga Gopalpur village.
“There was a past rivalry between the deceased and accused persons. A meeting was held in their village three months ago and since then the 11 accused people had been threatening Sumant to kill him,” said additional SP, Cuttack, Subhanarayan Muduli while briefing mediapersons on Thursday.
Efforts are on to nab the rest five persons involved in the murder, he informed.