Petrol Pump Owner Shot At During Loot Bid In Puri

Puri: The owner of a petrol filling station is fighting for his life after sustaining critical bullet injuries following firing by some unidentified miscreants in Sakhigopal area of the district last night.

Srikanta Rath, owner of Sujata Filling Station located at Rameswar Chhak on Alagum road in Sakhigopal, sustained gunshot wounds on his stomach and has been admitted for treatment at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

According to reports, three bike-borne miscreants reached the petrol pump at around 10 pm yesterday and tried to snatch cash from Rath. When the Rath and other staff of the petrol pump tried to resist the loot bid, the miscreants opened fire at him and fled the spot.

Sources said, the doctors at the AIIMS conducted emergency surgery on him but have failed to remove the bullet from his body. His condition was stated to be critical till the last reports came in.

Police have launched a probe into the matter.