Anandapur: The Anandapur police recovered the missing severed palm of the deceased ex-Anandapur block chairman, Ramchandra Behera, Wednesday.
Amid a hot political climate as the election nears and consequent political slugfest, the Dhakotha Bazar in Keonjhar remained closed for the second day Wednesday.
It may be mentioned here that Tuesday police arrested three persons in connection with the murder.
Intensifying the probe, superintendent of police (SP) Jaynaryan Pankaj reached the house of Behera and inquired his relatives about the murder.
Tuesday, a team of police comprising Anandapur sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Bidyut Chandra Panda, inspector in-charge (IIC) Biranchi Bag along with other police personnel carried out search operations and seized an axe, a sword, a sharp edged weapon and a bike which were purportedly used in the crime.
Meanwhile, Minarani Behera, daughter of the deceased, has demanded “immediate arrest of the culprits.” She told media persons that there should be a CBI probe into the murder as it might have a political connection given the timing of the murder.
Sources said about 15 people perpetrated the crime Monday night at Dhakotha under Ghasipura block.
The murder has triggered tension in the village with the residents blocking NH-20 Tuesday. The locals had demanded immediate arrest of the culprits and recovery of the missing palm.
Anandapur SDPO Bidyut Panda had said an investigation was on and police forces were deployed in the village.
Police had detained four suspects of which three— Ajit Prusty, Amulya Prusty and Sanjit Prusty— were arrested.
School and mass education minister Badri Narayan Patra met the bereaved family Tuesday and condemned the crime. He assured that those involved in the crime will be taken to task.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Pruthiraj Kuanr alleged that the family members of Patra were involved in the murder.
However, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) state general secretary Ashish Chakraborty and district unit president Bimbadhar Biswal denied the allegation.
AS IT HAPPENED (box)
Four youths had been to the house of Behera at 9 pm Monday. They had held talks with him and had tea. The four again asked Behera to come out of the house to talk to other people waiting outside. As Behera stepped out of his house, around 15 people armed with sharp edged weapons attacked him all of a sudden. They chopped off his hands, hacked his legs and injured his back before decamping with his chopped palm. As Behera did not return home, his daughter Minarani Behera came out looking for him and found his father in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the Anandapur hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
ABOUT RAMCHANDRA BEHERA
- Behera was a frontline leader of the Congress party in Anandapur
- In 2014 he unsuccessfully contested independently for the MLA seat
- Behera along with his 5,000 supporters was to join the BJD Tuesday
PNN
