Bhubaneswar: In a dramatic twist to a shooting incident in Balipatna area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, police on Sunday stated that the gunshot injury sustained by a youth was self-inflicted as part of a revenge plot.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the gunshot injury was self-inflicted by the injured person with a motive to entangle opposite party in a legal case, police said.
The injured, identified as Dipti Ranjan Mohapatra, had allegedly orchestrated the entire episode in a bid to frame the husband of a rape survivor.
Police said Dipti Ranjan had been arrested in connection with a rape case in 2024. The victim’s husband, who had actively pursued justice in the matter, became Dipti’s target.
In his attempt to take revenge upon the family of the rape survivor, he planned to falsely implicate them by creating a scene that would suggest he had been shot by him.
Sources said Dipti Ranjan reportedly stood in front of the survivor’s house and shot himself in the arm using a firearm. The sound of gunfire sparked panic in the area and locals immediately rushed him to the hospital.
Police launched an investigation into what was initially presented as an attack. However, inconsistent statements by the injured and a thorough probe enabled police to ascertain the truth..
Thorough interrogation and forensic evidence showed that the bullet trajectory did not match an external attack. Police also arrested one person who had provided Dipti with the gun.
The injured man, who is undergoing treatment in the hospital, will be taken into custody once his health improves.