Digapahandi: K. Nuagaon police Sunday arrested two cousin brothers on the charge of thrashing a disabled friend to death over a petty issue at Sindhaba village under this block in Ganjam district.
The accused duo was identified as Ganesh Behera and Prasant Behera and the deceased as Sarat Behera of Sindhaba village.
According to sources, the three used to take ganja together and would often hang around in the village. A fight broke out between Sarat and Ganesh over smoking of ganja, but other friends intervened to make peace between the two who then went their ways.
However, Ganesh wanted to teach a lesson to Sarat. So, he convinced his cousin brother Prasant to bring Sarat to an isolated place on some pretext.
As per the plan, Prasant called Sarat while he was sleeping in the house verandah after dinner Wednesday night. He then took him to the village corridor where he was joined by Ganesh and the duo thrashed him after which Sarat fell unconscious.
Fearing he had died, the duo fled leaving him on the spot. Family members rescued him in a critical condition Thursday morning and admitted him to Digapahandi community health centre (CHC) from where he was shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur as his condition worsened.
However, he died while undergoing treatment Friday. Acting on a complaint by Sarat’s family members, police registered a case and arrested the duo who confessed to the crime during interrogation.
PNN
