Cuttack: Traffic on Banki-Cuttack road came to grinding halt as Congress workers staged a blockade by burning tyres to protest against the alleged slow progress in the police investigation into the sensational double murder case in Banki.
The party has called for 12-hour bandh to press for the arrest of all the accused in the murder of Congress activist and husband of Nuagaon sarpanch Bhagaban Swain (40) an
d journalist Aditya Ransingh (38) on February 17. They also blocked blocked Banki-Cuttack-Baideswar-Kalapathar road and other parts of the region.
All shops, markets, educational institutions and other commercial establishments also remained shut.
Suspecting involvement of local BJD MLA and a former MLA in the murder, the Congress had earlier demanded a Crime Branch probe into the brutal murders.
“We have called for Banki bandh from 5 AM to 5 PM today. We are demanding a Crime Branch probe into the double murder as we suspect involvement of senior BJD leaders in the case,” said Congress leader Debasish Patnaik.
Police have so far arrested seven persons – Kalia alias Jitendra Swain, Balabhadra Pradhan, Sushant Pradhan, Himanshu Bhusan Routray, Taria Pradhan, Papu Pradhan and Dipu Behera – in connection with the double murder.
While police have attributed the murders to previous rivalry and claimed involvement of 10 to 15 persons, a video in which Bhagaban had named a few miscreants before the murder has also gone viral.