Bargarh accident: Pre-planned murder of two BJP leaders suspected

Odisha police on Monday assigned a possible planned and premeditated murder angle to the reported death of two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in a suspicious car accident in Bargarh district on January 5.

As per reports, BJP Goshala Mandal president Debendra Nayak and former sarpanch Muralidhar Chhuria lost their lives on Sunday after their vehicle overturned and skidded off the road on Kantapali overbridge on the Sambalpur-Bargarh National Highway.

Along with the two deceased, a driver and three other BJP workers were present in the car at the time of the accident.

The survivors, currently undergoing treatment after sustaining severe injuries, alleged that their vehicle was hit multiple times by a trailer truck that was persistently on their tail. Soon after, the victims’ families alleged a planned murder and lodged an FIR, following which police initiated a probe.

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According to the injured BJP worker, their car was first hit by the truck at Kantapali Square. When their car tried to move ahead at speed, the truck allegedly rammed them a second time.

Realising that something was wrong, the car driver diverted towards a village road. Shockingly, the truck continued to chase them and struck the car a third time after following it for some distance.

The repeated hits and the manner of the accident have raised suspicions, and the police investigation is expected to shed light on whether it was an accident or a deliberate act.

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Meanwhile, authorities took the driver of the truck involved in the accident into custody and are analysing CCTV footage from the scene to obtain crucial clues and uncover the truth.