Bhubaneswar: The Mancheswar police Friday arrested alleged bootlegger and hardened criminal Hadibandhu Behera alias Hadia, for the murder of his accomplice in front of a liquor shop at Palasuni Thursday.
Hadia would be produced in court, police said.
The victim was Sanjaya Behera alias Dhoba of GGP Colony in Rasulgarh. The reason for the murder is suspected to be provocation over the deceased teasing Hadia’s daughters.
Police said a drunk Dhoba was buying wine at a shop in Palasuni Munda Basti. Hadia, wearing a helmet, came and stabbed Dhoba with a knife, leaving him bleeding and unconscious. Dhoba was rushed to Capital Hospital where the doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.
Dhoba was a house painter and an accomplice of Hadia, himself a fugitive in criminal cases like bombing and arson. Dhoba acted as the right-hand of Hadia and helped him in smuggling illegal liquor and brown sugar.
According to police, what incensed Hadia was that Dhoba passed lewd comments on his daughters. Driven by rage, Hadia killed Dhoba. It was a premeditated murder, police suspect.
Hadia had tried to kill his cousin February 23 and 28, but in vain. In his first attempt, Hadia set his cousin’s house on fire after locking in his family, but they managed escape.
He hurled more than half a dozen bombs at his cousin a few days later. He had also shot at his cousin-sister the same day. According to sources, police would again arrest Hadia’s wife, who recently got bail in the arson case, and his son for further investigations.
Palasuni murder accused nabbed
