Bhubaneswar: The Mancheswar police Saturday arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly orchestrating the brutal daylight murder of Sahadev Naik in Vani Vihar area in January this year.
The accused, identified as Sushanta Nayak from Nayagarh district, is believed to have played a key role in planning the crime, making him the seventh individual to be apprehended in connection with the case.
Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) Mrutyunjay Swain revealed that Sushanta led multiple secret meetings at his residence in Dumduma to devise the plan to eliminate Sahadev.
Investigations further revealed that the accused has a criminal record, having been booked earlier in a theft case by the Capital police. His arrest comes weeks after Mancheswar police nabbed a 40-year-old woman, February 11, for her alleged involvement in the murder.
The chilling murder took place January 8, when five assailants—three men and two women—brutally attacked Sahadev Naik near the Vani Vihar railway overbridge (ROB). The assailants hacked him to death over an unresolved dispute, despite heightened security in the City due to the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) event.
The shocking incident raised concerns over law enforcement’s ability to curb violent crimes in the city. Following the murder, police launched an intense 24-hour operation that resulted in the arrest of five key suspects from Nayagarh.
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Sushanta Nayak has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and was produced before a local court Saturday.
PNN
