Bargarh: With the byelection to Bijepur Assembly constituency just a day away, tension ran high in Odisha’s Bargarh district following a murderous assault on four persons, including the brother of Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Minister Susanta Singh, in Sohela late on Thursday.
Police arrested three persons (two hailing from Sohela and one from Banabira) and seized a live and two empty cartridges from the spot.
While investigation into the incident is on, police suspect it to be a case of pre-poll violence.
Police sources said the Minister’s brother, Subrat Singh, was on a Maruti Vitara Breeza (OD-17-L-9590) with three persons when they were intercepted by around 30-40 unidentified miscreants near an ashram at Banabira in Sohela block. The miscreants suddenly launched a concerted attack on Singh with bricks and sticks and opened around 30 rounds of fire on them. Before leaving the area, they completely damaged the car.
The incident took place between 11 pm and 12 midnight, eyewitnesses said.
Soon after the incident, locals rushed to the spot and informed police, which reached the spot and admitted the four to a government hospital at Sohela. They were later shifted to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla. The condition of two among them is stated to be critical.
Besides Subrat Singh, the three injured have been identified as Kartik Nag, Maji Sahu and Khageswar Mahamalika.
Eyewitnesses said the miscreants had come in four vehicles.
When asked about the incident, one of the injured said they were on their way to a place in Bijepur following information about distribution of money when the miscreants intercepted the vehicle at Banabira and severely thrashed them.
Hearing the incident, Susanta Singh rushed to VIMSAR with his supporters and inquired about the condition of his brother and the three others.
Steel and Mines Minister and BJD observer for Bargarh district Prafulla Mallik also visited the injured at VIMSAR.
Talking to mediapersons later, he accused the BJP for the attack. “Involvement of BJP in the incident is quite clear as its leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in a press meet in Bargarh on Thursday, had said there could be violence if steps are not taken to keep Susanta Singh out of Bijepur constituency.
Informing the media later in the day, Additional SP of Bargarh, Jasobant Senapati said police has arrested three persons in this connection. They are Babu alias Basudeb Nayak, Gudu alias Digvijay and Jayaprakash Agrawal.
He said two special teams of police have been pressed into service to nab another accused.
