Nayagarh A young motorcycle repair garage owner was gunned down inside his workshop at Pandarasinha village under Gania police limits in Nayagarh district on Sunday evening.
The deceased has been identified as Rabindra Nayak (27) of Paturia village under Kishore Prasad panchayat. He had reportedly married just two months ago.
According to police and witness accounts, a car with three individuals stopped near the garage around 6.30 pm. The occupants called out to Rabindra, claiming a wheel issue with their vehicle. As he approached to help, one of the men allegedly fired at him from close range with a hunting gun. The bullet struck him in the chest, exiting through his back. He was rushed to Gania Community Health Centre (CHC) by locals but was declared dead on arrival.
Accused Dilip Mantri (35) of Sidhamula village was arrested within an hour of the crime. He was nabbed while flee in a car.
Nayagarh SP Suvendu Kumar Patra said the murder was linked to a personal grudge. Rabindra’s elder brother had eloped with the wife of Mantri in October 2025. Since Rabindra was allegedly involved in assisting the elopement, Mantri had been seeking revenge ever since. The shot hit Rabindra in the right side of his chest, causing fatal injuries. “Acting swiftly on the statements of two eyewitnesses, we sealed all exit routes and formed a special team. He was arrested within an hour,” said Patra.
A country-made firearm believed to be the murder weapon was seized from his possession.
