Odisha: Friday Murder Not Related To Hanuman Jayanti Celebration, Says Sambalpur Collector

Sambalpur: Even as Odisha DGP Sunil Bansal arrived in Sambalpur on Saturday to review the law and order situation, the district collector said the murder of a person on Friday night was not related to Hanuman Jayanti celebration.

“The murder of a man at Outer Ring Road in the city may not be related to the attack on Hanuman Jayanti rally on Wednesday. Some of the accused in the group clash violence have been arrested. The two incidents are unlikely to be related,” a local TV channel quoted Sambalpur collector Ananya Das as saying.

According to police sources, 14 to 15 people armed with swords and hockey sticks attacked two persons going on a bike near Mangala Temple on the Ring Road on Friday evening. After the bikers fell down, the group hacked one of them to death. The second person lost his fingers in the attack, they added.

The police have started investigation and launched a manhunt to trace the group of people. They have detained one person in this connection.

Meanwhile, Sambalpur SP B Gangadhar said the link between the two incidents cannot be established. “The murder took place on the outer Ring Road which is an isolated area and far away from the Hanuman Jayanti procession that was taken out,” he said.

“It seems like a brawl between two groups may have led to a clash resulting in murder,” he added.