Dispute Over Pond Lease Led To Murder Of Prof Dhruba Raj Naik: Police

Prof Dhruba Raj Naik and accused Prabina Dharua

Jharsuguda: A day after the murder of former vice-chancellor of Sambalpur University Prof Dhruba Raj Naik at his home at Kuanramal village in Jharsuguda district, police on Monday revealed the details of the crime.

SP (Jharsuguda) Bikash Das said soon after the murder of the 83-year-old Naik, a team of Laikera police and some Jangal Sathi members from Kuanramal caught the alleged murderer, Prabina Dharua, from inside the forest near the village.

During interrogation the accused revealed that the crime was fallout of a dispute over the leasing of a fishing pond, the SP said.

“Naik leased his pond to a man of Kankamal village in 2018. But the accused, who belongs to Kuanramal, and his associates used to steal fish from the pond at regular intervals. The man, who had taken the pond on lease, had an altercation with the accused and his associates over this and he later lodged a complaint at Laikera police station. Based on the complaint, police had arrested the accused and his associates. The accused and his associates had been nurturing a grudge against the complainant and Naik ever since. They were recently released on bail,” the SP added.

Das further said the accused went to Naik’s house around 2 pm on Sunday with the motive to take revenge. He barged into Naik’s bedroom with an axe. At that time, Naik had gone outside for some work, but his wife, daughter and son-in-law were in the house.

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“In the meantime, Naik returned to his house and finding the accused inside his bedroom, asked him to leave at once. The accused went outside and started abusing Naik in obscene language. At this, Naik too came outside and told the youth to stop creating a ruckus. The accused then turned on Naik and struck his neck with the axe,” the SP informed.

“As Naik fell down bleeding, his family members and some villages took him to the community health centre (CHC) at Mudrajora in Laikera. But his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to Samaleswari Hospital in Jharsuguda. The doctors there declared him as brought dead”, the SP added.

Das said some cases relating to land and other disputes were registered against the accused at Laikera police station earlier.

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