Odisha CEO Orders Transfer Of Two Police Offers For May 20 Murder During Polls In Bargarh

Bhubaneswar: Four days after a 35-year-old autorickshaw driver was stabbed to death near a polling booth in Bargarh, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha, on Friday ordered for transfer of two police officers.

The CEO has directed DGP and Excise Commissioner to transfer Bargarh Sadar police station IIC and Excise Station officer out of the district within 24 hours after it was found that the accused involved in the murder were in an inebriated state.

The murder had taken place on May 20 barely 100m from a polling booth at Sarsara village, under Bargarh assembly seat in Bargarh district, triggering panic. Police had then attributed the murder, which they claimed to have taken place during a drunken brawl, to previous enmity. The auto driver Biswanath Mirdha of Sarsara village had a heated exchange with one Ashok Mahananda, who then stabbed him with a khukri, police added.

Meher was found bleeding profusely inside the auto around 12pm by the villagers, who then took him to a nearby government health facility from where he was referred to Bargarh district headquarters hospital but was declared brought dead. He had 5 to 6 stab marks on his body.

The voting in the village was disrupted temporarily due to the incident.