Bhubaneswar: Police on Thursday stated that the murder of a transgender on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on February 1 was committed with the intention of robbery.
A senior police officer said that the prime accused, Krushna Kandi, a notorious criminal with multiple robbery cases against him, attacked the transgender during an attempt to loot.
Anotably, Krushna was injured in a police encounter at Pipili in Puri district during a dramatic operation on Wednesday night.A resident of Gadarupasa in the district, 25-year-old Krushna sustained a bullet wound in his left leg and was immediately admitted to SCB Medical
College and Hospital in Cuttack for treatment, where he is reported to be out of danger.
Police also arrested his associate, Sanil Kandi, while search operations continue for other accomplices. Pipili police confirmed that Krushna and his gang targeted transgender, Anjali for robbery, which led to the murder.
Stating that the motive behind the attack on the transgender and her subsequent murder was snatching, police said Krushna is a habitual offender with several snatching and loot cases registered against him. The investigation remains ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects.
It may be recalled that the body of the 25-year-old transgender, a yoga instructor from Salepur residing in Bhubaneswar, was recovered from an isolated stretch of NH-316 near Uttara Chhak, close to the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA). The victim had suffered multiple stab wounds following an apparent altercation. Subsequent investigation, aided by CCTV footage and phone records, pointed to Kandi’s involvement.