Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police arrested three prime accused, including a woman, for the brutal murder of Sahadev Nayak on National Highway-16 near Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday morning.
The accused, identified as Laxmidhara Naik, Rocky Naik and Lipika Naik, were apprehended by a special team of the police from Saranakula in Nayagarh district. They are residents of Kedarpalli and nearby areas, sources said.
While police are yet to specify the motive behind the broad daylight murder, official sources said brown sugar peddling could be the reason behind the gruesome crime.
The victim youth Naik was hacked to death by the three accused for opposing the illegal drug peddling, the sources claimed.
The official sources further informed the three accused were arrested earlier for drug peddling and sent to jail. They were nurturing a grudge against Sahadev Naik as he had informed the police about their involvement in the illegal drug trade.
After being released on bail, the accused executed their plan to eliminate Sahadev, who was working as a ‘Police Mitra’.
Earlier, the Commissionerate Police identified the prime accused persons and detained them.
Speaking to the media, Bhubaneswar DCP Pinak Mishra had earlier said that three persons have been detained on suspicion of being involved in the incident and are being questioned. “The accused and the victim belong to the same locality. Prima facie it appears to be the fallout of previous enmity,” he said.
Nayak was a resident of Kedarpalli area and the President of BMC Sanitation Employees’ Association.
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Notably, a video clip had also surfaced in which two men can be seen fleeing on a motorcycle, carrying a huge bag, after decapitating Nayak using a sword on Rasulgarh Road Over Bridge (ROB) at around 8 am. It is being said that they had hid the sword in the bag.
The incident took place when the state capital is under the thick blanket of security cover for the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas with 90 platoons of the police force, anti-terror agencies, 12 companies of Central Armed Police Forces and over 500 officers deployed in the city for smooth conduct of the event.
Also Read: Man Beheaded In Broad Daylight In Bhubaneswar Fortified For Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
