Bhubaneswar: In a swift follow-up action, Lingaraj police on Friday demolished the house of a father-son duo arrested the previous day for allegedly chopping off a man’s wrist during a violent clash in Kapileswar area of Odisha capital.
The bulldozer action targeted the property of Santosh Mallia and Rakesh Mallia, who were allegedly running illicit liquor trade under the guise of a betel shop near Gangua Nullah under Lingaraj police limits. The demolition was carried out after securing necessary permission from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), sources said, adding that the duo had constructed the house on government land.
On Thursday morning, three locals, including Rajesh Sahoo and Suresh Sahoo, went to Santosh’s shop to purchase alcohol. A dispute erupted after Suresh reportedly entered without removing his shoes, leading to a heated exchange. The trio initially left but Suresh later returned with two associates Bibhu Prasad Sahoo and Deepak Sahoo, escalating the situation with threats.
According to police sources, Bibhu picked up a wooden plank and attacked Santosh. Rakesh intervened to defend his father, and a scuffle broke out between the two groups. In the heat of the confrontation, Rakesh allegedly retrieved a sword from the shop and severed Bibhu’s right wrist. Suresh and Deepak Sahoo also sustained injuries in the attack. The accused duo reportedly disposed of the severed wrist by throwing it into the canal behind their shop and discarded the sword nearby before fleeing.
On being informed, Lingaraj police launched a manhunt and arrested both Santosh and Rakesh, They also recovered the severed wrist from the canal and seized the weapon of offence. Bibhu is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Cuttack.
