Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar police Monday arrested the prime accused in the murder of AIIMS lab attendant Sudhansu Khuntia (25), who was shot dead October 13 while on his way to work, an official said.
The accused, identified as Khuntia’s cousin Sadasiba Pradhan alias Siba, was apprehended from the Hanspal–Balianta road on the outskirts of the city, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Zone-3) Tapas Chandra Pradhan said.
Earlier, four other accused were arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder.
They are Siba’s younger brother Suvendu Pradhan (23), their father Sukanta Pradhan (50), and two accomplices, Rakesh Khuntia (27) and Subrat Sahoo (30).
Police said a long-standing family dispute over ancestral property was the motive behind the murder.
A civil case on the land dispute is also pending in a local court.
“On October 13 morning, while Khuntia was heading to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Siba allegedly shot him and fled the spot. He later handed over the country-made pistol used in the crime to one of his associates,” the ACP said, adding that the weapon has been seized.
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