Bhubaneswar The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police cracked the Kolathia murder case within 15 hours of the crime, apprehending two juveniles for their alleged involvement in the brutal attack that left 20-year-old Krushna Prasad Padhi, a second-year BSc student, dead on Monday.
His father, who was critically injured in the incident, succumbed during treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar this morning.
Addressing the media, Commissioner of Police S Dev Datta Singh stated that the crime took place on the intervening night of June 28–29 under Khandagiri police limits. “The case presented a significant challenge to the police. Initially, we got very few clues from the scene of the crime. There was no clear angle of past enmity, land disputes, or any immediate social friction. Because one victim passed away during treatment and the other critically injured, his sister, was in the hospital and could provide no clue, initial investigation saw little progress,” he said.
To crack the case, police deployed multiple teams, manual intelligence network tracking, and scanned local CCTV footage to monitor suspicious movements in the area during the night. “Through vigorous investigation and police intelligence, we succeeded in detecting the accused within 15 hours. The two accused individuals, both juveniles who are students in the Class 10 and Class 12, have been rounded up and apprehended. They will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board,” the CP said.
A Plot Rooted in Revenge
According to the police chief, the motive behind the attack was a deeply held grudge over a perceived injustice. “The main juvenile accused believed that a female relative and a classmate were being harassed by Krushna. Though the duo claimed that they only intended to intimidate the victims with chili powder, carrying an iron rod with face covered with masks showed their clear and planned intent. They launched a savage attack on the victim as soon as he opened the door,” Singh said.
Furthermore, the victims belonged to a humble background and there was nothing valuable in the house to be stolen, which ruled out any angle of robbery in the case, he added.
The CP expressed deep concern over the involvement of school children in such gruesome violence, noting that neither minor had a prior criminal record.
