Balugaon: Police Friday arrested nine persons in connection with Wednesday night’s murder of Tophan Sen (27), son of Nachuni panchayat’s former sarpanch Ghanashyam Sen here in Khurda district.
The accused were identified as Niranjan Mahapatra, Akrur Subudhi, Meru Mahapatra, Prabhat Maharana, Kabi Khuntia, Chintu Maharana, Manoj Sahu, Rakesh Subudhi and Aintha Maharana.
A case was of murder was registered and the nine were produced in a court, police said. Meanwhile, all men of the village went into hiding in fear of police arrest. The village wore a deserted look Friday, a report said.
A platoon of police with two senior officials was deployed in the village to bring the situation under control, SDPO Rajkishore Paikray said.
According to sources, the incident is stated to be the fallout of a bitter dispute between the supporters of BJD and BJP in the village. Masked youths assaulted Tophan with swords while he had been to Nachuni market over some work at 10.30 pm though the market was closed for Raja Sankranti.
He was talking to a person in front of a shop when some masked youths assaulted him with swords from behind. Tophan tried to run away but the miscreants overpowered him and hacked him to death. Later, the assailants fled the scene.
Police registered a case over a complaint lodged by Ghanshyam and began an investigation into the incident. PNN