Odisha Elections 2024: Auto Driver Hacked To Death Near Polling Booth In Bargarh

Bargarh: An autorickshaw driver, stated to be a BJP worker, was allegedly hacked to death by armed miscreants outside a polling booth during the second phase of elections in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Monday.

As per preliminary information, the gruesome incident took place at Sarsara village under the jurisdiction of Bargarh Sadar police station when the deceased was carrying some voters to a polling booth in his autorickshaw.

The deceased, identified as Biswanath Mirdha, was attacked by some miscreants near the polling booth. He died after being attacked with sharp weapons, sources said.

While some locals claimed that the auto driver was a BJP worker and the murder took place over political reasons, police said personal enmity was suspected to have led to the killing and probe is underway.

As the incident sparked tension in the area, senior police officials, including Inspector General of Police Himanshu Lal and Bargarh SP P S Meena rushed to the village to take stock of the situation.

They also pacified the locals who were staging a protest after the daylight murder when polling was in progress.