Puri: In under 24 hours, Krushnaprasad police on Tuesday arrested the main suspect in the fatal attack on a 16-year-old boy following a violent fishing dispute in Puri district’s Chilika Lake.
The accused, identified as 23-year-old Ganesh Das, was apprehended by a special police team from Chandrapur village in Khordha district.
According to sources, a dispute over fishing rights and net placements escalated into violence on Monday night when an armed group of 30 to 40 miscreants ambushed a boat carrying local fishermen. The attackers launched a brutal assault with lethal weapons, leaving two fishermen severely injured and bleeding before abducting and taking the life of a 16-year-old minor, identified as Om from Jaipur village near Pipili. The teenager’s body was later recovered from the lake waters and handed to the grieving family after a postmortem.
“We received information from Chinmayee Behera of Krushnaprasad village under Kumarpur panchayat that some miscreants had allegedly kidnapped and assaulted his cousin. We immediately began an investigation and launched a search operation during the night to trace the missing person. Our teams searched the entire stretch from Krushnaprasad to Balugaon. Later, when we reached the spot where the alleged altercation had taken place, we found his body there,” Puri SDPO Manas Ranjan Barik told the media.
Soon, forensic teams rushed to gather physical evidence at Samakali Nasi near Kumarpur village, while joint teams from Puri and Krushnaprasad police stations conducted overnight raids across parts of Chilika Lake to track the fleeing suspects.
Interrogation of the arrested suspect is underway to identify others involved, with raids continuing at multiple locations.
Meanwhile, representatives and leaders from the Matsyajibi Mahasangha (Fishermen’s Association) visited Kumarpur village to express solidarity with local residents, calling on law enforcement and the Chilika Development Authority to implement stringent security measures and deliver justice. In response, police have reassured the community that strict legal action will be taken against every perpetrator and enhanced patrol measures are being put in place to ensure safety across Chilika Lake.