Nayagarh: A young man was brutally murdered, allegedly by members of a stone mining mafia, at Kadalibandha village under Odagaon police limits in Odisha’s Nayagarh district in the early hours of Monday.
The victim has been identified as Ajit Kumar Sahu of Shilpinagar Sahi in Kadalibandha.
A senior police official said that all four main accused involved in the killing have been arrested within 12 hours following speedy investigation and swift action.
According to sources, Ajit and his friend Santosh Kumar Pradhan spotted two vehicles illegally transporting laterite stones in the area late last night and alerted police. They also attempted to stop the vehicles, leading to a confrontation. Following which, members of the stone mafia allegedly attacked the duo with sharp weapons. Santosh managed to escape and hid at a nearby dhaba, but Ajit was not so fortunate. The assailants allegedly hacked him brutally, severing both his hands, before fleeing the scene.
Locals informed police after spotting his body lying on the road this morning. Odagaon IIC, Sarankul SDPO and scientific teams rushed to the spot to conduct an investigation. “The incident occurred around 2.30 am. He died due to excessive bleeding. We suspect involvement of two to three persons in the killing,” a police officer told a local news channel.
He added that investigation is underway and the assailants would be soon nabbed.
The gruesome killing sparked tension and outrage in the area. Ajit’s family members and angry locals staged a protest by blocking the road and placing his body on it, demanding swift justice. Police and army personnel have been deployed to restore law and order.
Following the incident, Inspector General of Police (IGP), central range, Satyajit Naik and Nayagarh SP S Susree visited the spot.
“All four accused persons in the murder case have been arrested. Multiple teams have been formed for speedy investigation of the case,” said Naik.
Scientific and digital evidence is being collected to ensure a foolproof investigation.
One special team in coordination with the district mining officer and other concerned revenue officials will be entrusted with the task of curbing the menace of illegal stone quarry and its transportation, the officer said.
Intensive interrogation is underway to ascertain the role of each accused and to trace other persons involved, if any.
Strict action against illegal stone quarry operations and associated criminal syndicates is being taken in coordination with Revenue & Mining departments.
This incident comes a day after DGP Y B Khurania Khurania chaired a high-level review meeting at the Camp Office in Bhubaneswar and directed police officers across the state to intensify crime-control measures and strengthen public trust in the policing system.
