A 38-year-old woman has received critical bullet injuries after being shot at by two bike-borne miscreants in Puri Town on Tuesday late night.
Another 50-year-old woman has sustained injuries on her left hand after she was attacked by the same assailants yesterday.
One of the two women identified as Sakuntala Sahoo (38), wife of Jitendra Sahoo and resident of Narendrakona area under Kumbharpada Police Station limits in the town, was initially rushed to Puri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) where she was given preliminary treatment and later referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack after her health condition deteriorated.
Another woman has been identified as Tuni Behera (50), resident of Mattitota under Baselisahi Police Station limits in the Puri Town.
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One of the two bike-borne miscreants who is the main accused has been identified by the victims as Biju Behera of Gokhasahi while the identification of his associate is yet to be established.
At around 11.50 pm yesterday, Biju reached the house of Jitendra and started banging his windows. Jitendra, who is an employee at a private bank, and his wife opened the window to check on the person.
“At around 12 pm when I, my wife and my son were sleeping, we heard someone was banging on the window. When we opened the window, they threatened us and demanded money. When I told them that I will report the matter to police, he pulled out a gun from his pocket and brandished on us,” alleged Jitendra.
“He fired the gun on us. My wife pushed me back in a bid to save me from the gunshot. However, the bullet pierced on her waist and she fell down. In the meantime, Biju and his friend fled the spot on their motorcycle,” added Jitendra.
Jitendra further alleged that Biju had four months back demanded them money for constructing house in Narendrakona area following which he had approached the Kumbharapada Police. Police accordingly, warned Biju to stay away from such extortion stunts.
In another display of hooliganism by Biju, he and his friend identified as Kalia Muduli allegedly barged into Tuni Behera’s house in Matitota yesterday night and demanded her money.
When she refused to pay, Biju and Kalia allegedly attacked Tuni’s son with stones and stick. When Tuni jumped in to save his son from the two assailants, they reportedly hit her.
“Biju also brandished gun on us and fired shots. However, it missed us. They later fled the spot,” alleged Tuni.
Later, police rushed to the spot on getting information and admitted Tuni and his son to Puri DHH for treatment.
Meanwhile, the Puri Town Police Station has started an investigation into the two incidents and formed two teams to nab Biju and others involved with him in the attack.
(Edited By Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)