Sambalpur: A 36-year-old meat shop owner was shot dead in broad daylight at Kirba Chhak under Burla police limits in Sambalpur district Saturday morning.
The victim, identified as Mohammad Anish, was allegedly shot multiple times by Raja Swami, 25, at around 11 am.
Sambalpur Additional Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar Mishra said the accused used an illegal 7.62mm country-made pistol to fire at Anish from close range.
Preliminary investigations indicated that Anish sustained three bullet injuries.
Police recovered several empty cartridges from the spot.
A profusely bleeding Anish was rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla in a critical condition, but doctors declared him dead.
Police detained Swami, a resident of the Jharsuguda area, and seized the pistol allegedly used in the crime.
He is being interrogated.
Police and a scientific team are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including whether a personal dispute or an alleged extramarital relationship was behind the killing.
Anish’s elder sister, Nasreen Begum, alleged that Swami had previously worked for Anish and lived in a rented house.
According to her, Swami had taken an advance of Rs 50,000 from Anish which he failed to repay.
She claimed that Anish had recently asked Swami to repay the loan after his meat business suffered a downturn following the demolition of shops near the bridge.
She alleged that Swami ambushed Anish Saturday morning as he was returning from Uttar Pradesh and riding his scooter towards his shop.