Bhubaneswar: Was the crash in which two local BJP leaders were killed in Odisha’s Sambalpur a premeditated murder?
Rohan Nayak, son of deceased BJD leader Devendra Nayak and a doctor by profession, has lodged a complaint with police, claiming that the car in which he was travelling with five others was hit by a tipper truck multiple times, making the suspicion stronger.
Devendra Nayak, BJP mandal president of Goshala and a resident of Kardola village, and Muralidhar Chhuria, a former sarpanch, died while two others sustained injuries after the tipper truck hit their car near Katapali overbridge under Burla police limits in the early hours of Sunday.
Both were close associates of former Rengali MLA Nauri Naik.
Also Read: 2 BJP Leaders Killed, 2 Critical After Truck Hits Car In Odisha’s Sambalpur
One of the injured, Suresh Chanda, also told the media that that the truck driver intentionally rammed into their car thrice at around 1:30 am on NH-53 when they were returning to Chipilima from the former MLA’s residence in Bhubaneswar. The car veered onto a rural road near Kantapalli Square after being hit the first time, but the truck driver allegedly chased the vehicle and rammed into it again, toppling it off the road.
“The vehicle hit our car from behind twice. Suspecting that it was intentionally, the driver turned the car towards a rural road from the highway near Kantapalli Square. Still, the dumper chased our vehicle and hit it badly. As a result, the car overturned. I believe it was intentional. By mistake, one can hit a vehicle once, but why hit it thrice?” he asked.
Former MLA Nauri Naik also asserted that the collision appeared deliberate.
Police have arrested the truck driver, and questioning him on the basis of complaint filed by Devendra Nayak’s son. “We will investigate the possibility of intentional foul play,” said Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo.
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is on a tour to Sambalpur, met the injured and enquired about their condition. He also held discussions with family members of the injured, party workers, former MLA Nauri Naik and the authorities about the accident.
