BARGARH : Bargarh police on Friday arrested four persons on charges of attempting to murder a 25-year-old youth who was rescued from an abandoned well near Samaleipadar village in Bijepur area of the district.
Police said Balaram Manira (21) of Shaktinagar in Padampur, Md Akhmal Rajak (21), Shakti Behera (19) and Trinath Mahapatra (22), all from Bijepur, were arrested for assaulting Tulsiram Bhue and throwing him into the well mistaking him for dead. Another accused, Tushar Bhoi, is on the run.
According to police, Tulsiram, a resident of Purena village in Padampur, left home for some work on June 7. When he did not return home, his family members launched a search but failed to trace him. Subsequently, they lodged a missing person report at Padampur police station on Wednesday.
On Thursday morning, Bijepur police received information that a person was seen inside an abandoned well near Samaleipadar village. A police team led by IIC SK Mahanty along with firefighters rushed to the spot and rescued Tulsiram from the well. He was first admitted to the community health centre (CHC) at Bijepur and later shifted to VIMSAR, Burla for advanced treatment.
During investigation, police found that on June 7, Tulsiram had accompanied accused Tushar and Balaram to Bijepur on a scooter. They were joined by Shakti, Rajak and Trinath near Bijepur bus stand. The group allegedly bought liquor and went to a secluded spot near Samaleipadar for a feast.
After they were drunk, an argument reportedly broke out over a complaint which Tulsiram had earlier lodged against Tusar regarding theft of a mobile phone.
Bargarh SP RN Satpathy said the accused allegedly assaulted Tulsiram with fist-blows, bamboo sticks and glass bottles. When the victim lost consciousness, they presumed him to be dead and allegedly threw him into the abandoned well before fleeing the scene.
Rajak and Balaram are reportedly involved in criminal cases registered at Bijepur and Padampur police stations. Efforts are on to nab Tusar and further investigation is underway, SP added.
