The day of Diwali turned bloody in Odisha as two murders were reported from separate places on Monday.
While one person was allegedly murdered in Puri, another was killed in Nayagarh district on Diwali night yesterday. Besides, one person was injured.
In the first incident, unidentified miscreants opened fire at two persons when they were busy bursting crackers near Bhargabi School at Thentapur village under Chandanpur police limits in Puri. While one died on the spot, the other one is injured seriously.
The deceased has been identified as Shankar Behera while the injured was identified as Nilu Behera.
The initial investigation by the police reveals that past enmity is the reason behind the crime. Registering a case, the police have launched a probe and manhunt to nab the culprits.
In the second incident that occurred at Madhyakhand village under Dasapalla police limits in Nayagarh district, two groups had an altercation over bursting firecrackers. The scene turned ugly when one group attacked the other with sharp weapons, killing one.
The deceased has been identified as Bikash Behera, a history sheeter who had over 15 cases pending against him at various police stations in Nayagarh and other districts.
According to a source, Bikash along with his friends was bursting crackers when another group entered into a verbal duel with the former over bursting crackers. In no time, it snowballed into a pitched battle. Later, the opposite group attacked Bikash with a knife. Soaked in blood, he was rescued and rushed to Dasapalla Community Health Center (CHC) and then to Nayagarh district headquarters hospital (DHH). However, it was too late by then. The doctors at the DHH pronounced him received dead.
The police have launched a probe into the incident and a search for the miscreants.
(Reported by Madhusudan Mishra from Puri and Artatrana Pradhan from Nayagarh)