Rayagada: A young man, who was allegedly chased, shot at, and abducted in Odisha’s Rayagada town, was found dead near the Nagavali River at Tumbiguda, police said on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Nikhil Hadipa, a resident of the Reli Sahi area in Rayagada.
According to sources, the incident took place around 10 pm on Saturday at Indira Nagar 3rd Line as a group of unidentified assailants pursued Hadipa on a motorcycle and in a four-wheeler. An argument ensued and soon escalated with the attackers allegedly opening fire as he tried to flee.
Eyewitnesses told police that Hadipa sought refuge in a nearby house, but the miscreants forced their way inside, dragged him out, and forcibly abducted him before speeding off toward the Ring Road area. His body was later discovered near the banks of the Nagavali River close to Tumbiguda.
While a scientific investigation team arrived at the scene early Sunday morning, a used cartridge case has been seized from the initial confrontation site, which is being examined as part of the probe.
The incident is suspected to be the fallout of a previous enmity. While police are probing all possible angles, a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits. “The mother of the deceased had lodged a complaint late last night claiming that he had been abducted. Three police teams searched for the youth all night. This morning, we received information about his death. The accused have been identified and four teams have been formed to track them down,” Rayagada SP Swathi S Kumar told reporters.
Sources indicated that Nikhil has prior criminal antecedents and his father is currently in jail.
Meanwhile, people protested and blocked the road near the Town police station by setting tyres on fire.
