ROURKELA: Plant Site police on Sunday arrested five persons including a minor for their alleged involvement in the murder of a roadside tea vendor near Amar Bhawan complex here.
Police said Mohit (19), Subham Paswan (19), Rajvir Ram (24), Sidhu Tanti (24) and the minor stabbed Avinash Yadav (26) of Gopabandhupali slum to death over past enmity on Friday night.
Avinash ran a roadside tea stall near Amar Bhawan.
Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said prime accused Mohit (19) along with Subham and the juvenile offender, all of Gopabandhupali slum, confronted Avinash outside a public toilet adjacent to Amar Bhawan complex at around 9.10 pm on Friday. While Subham and the minor held the tea vendor tightly, Mohit stabbed him three to four times.
The SP said after the assailants fled the scene, locals rushed Avinash to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Investigation revealed that Rajvir of Timber Colony slum helped the three assailants escape from the scene. Sidhu of Bondamunda area arranged hideouts for the three killers.
Wadhwani attributed the murder to past enmity and said Mohit and his associates had verbal and physical confrontations with the deceased youth over trivial issues on several occasions. They were reportedly searching for an opportunity to eliminate him.
Sidhu reportedly has 36 criminal cases against him in different police stations. Subham had come in contact with hardened criminals Sidhu and Rajvir in jail, said the SP.
Wadhwani further said the smart habitual offender intelligence and early law-enforcement detection (SHIELD) initiative helped police detect the link among the criminals and crack the murder case. Police seized a knife, multi-utility vehicle and car used in the crime and five mobile phones from the five accused. They were produced in court.