Gambling Proves Fatal For Youth In Odisha; Mastermind, Supari Killer Among Three Arrested

Jeypore: Three persons, including a contract killer, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly killing another youth in Pottangi area of Odisha’s Koraput district earlier this month after losing money in gambling.

The three arrested include mastermind Anil Kumar Padhi (24) and Ajeet Khila (21) of Uparsahi village in Koraput and contract killer Ganesh Raula (22) of Kharsanda village in Gajapati district.

According to sources, Ganga Prasad Choudhury alias Kuna of Gatesahi Pottangi was found dead near a village temple on November 3. Father of the deceased lodged a written complaint in this regard with Pottangi police.

The arrest of Anil and his subsequent interrogation revealed that his elder brother Sunil lost Rs 3 lakh to Kuna in gambling. His father Bhaskar Padhi, a teacher, had to take a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh to pay Kuna and promised to repay the remaining amount in December. Seeing his father having to go through this mental stress, Anil then decided to eliminate Kuna in connivance with Ajeet Khila. He took Rs 40,000 as advance from the deceased for Ganja business and paid the same to the supari killers, Sidhu and Ganesh, with a promise to pay them another Rs 17 lakh after the murder.

Around 9.30 pm on November 3, the supari killers strangulated Kuna to death and took away his two mobile phones before fleeing the spot.