Berhampur: Lalit Mohan Mahapatra (47), a BJD leader and former youth president of Digapahandi block, died under mysterious circumstances in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Tuesday night.
According to sources, Lalit met with an accident when a car rammed into his motorcycle between Khambarigaon school and the Panchayat office while he was returning home last night. He sustained grievous injuries after hitting a coconut tree.
The family members of the deceased, however, suspect that he was murdered as the car was driven by one Ramkrushna Mishra with whom he had an altercation at Sankarkhali Square near Khambarigaon that evening. They had dispersed after some people intervened.
Ramkrushna also reportedly took him to Digapahandi health centre but fled thereafter. Lalit died while undergoing treatment at the facility.
His wife, Gitanjali Mahapatra, served as a sarpanch of Khambarigaon panchayat under K Nuagaon police station from 2007-2012. Lalit also contested for the sarpanch post during 2017 but was defeated.
Meanwhile, IIC Digapahandi police station Dipti Ranjan Behera visited the health centre. Further investigation is underway.
