Kamakhyanagar: Mystery shrouded the death of a liquor plant security guard as police Sunday recovered his beheaded body at Sogar village under Tumusinga police limits in Dhenkanal district.
The victim was identified as Yudhistir Sahu (34), a security guard at liquor plant Shakti Multi Lemon Pvt Ltd in the village. His severed head was found lying 10-ft from the body. The incident has spread shockwaves in the village.
While the plant authorities claimed the death occurred because of jumbo attack, his brother Binod Sahu lodged a murder complaint at the Tumusinga police station.
Two security guards Sanjay Kumar Behera and Rakesh Sahu confirmed the claims made by the plant authorities. Behera and Sahu claimed that Sahu went out of the plant at 5 am while they spotted an elephant carrying a piece of cloth.
They rushed inside the plant on noticing the pachyderm and later came out and found Sahu’s beheaded body lying nearby.
However, locals and family members raised doubts on the claim as Sahu’s body had no injury marks to indicate he was trampled by an elephant while his head was lying at a distance.
According to the complaint, Sahu paid with his life for being honest as his killers feared that he might reveal the ongoing corruption in the plant. Police registered a case and started an investigation.
On being informed, western range officer Gatikrushna Mohanty, SDPO Sk Abdul Karim, Tumusinga police IIC Khitish Chandra Patra rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. Later, a forensic team was pressed into service.
Residents raised questions like how the administration and forest officials gave clearance for establishment of the plant in the area which is an elephant corridor.
Moreover, the plant built over eight acre of land has no arrangement for lighting outside its premises.
A month back, the plant was in the news after labourers staged a sit-in outside its premises over payment issue. State labour minister who was passing by the factory stopped by the plant and held talks with the plant authorities following which the labourers withdrew their stir. PNN
