Trawler Owner Shot Dead In Balasore: 'SP Not Fit Enough To Be A Home Guard'

Balasore: "The Superintendent of Police in Balasore is not fit enough to be a Home Guard," said former MLA and Biju Janata Dal leader Arun Dey after unidentified miscreants shot a fishing trawler owner dead at Balaramgadi under Chandipur Marine police limits on Monday.

As per reports, the trawler owner, Bijay Kumar Pradhan suffered 4-5 gunshot wounds after being shot by the bike-borne miscreants and succumbed while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Balasore.

Expressing concern over the daylight murder, five-time former Balasore legislator Dey said, "Unless the State government replaces this district administration including the SP, nobody is safe here. I will not be surprised if somebody shoots me, the Collector or the Parliamentarian."

Speaking about the incident, the nephew of the deceased, Madan Mohan Pradhan said, "I think he was killed over business rivalry. He went outside without vehicle and was shot dead."

Alleging serious flaw in law and order in the district, a fellow trawler owner and his family friend said, "Law and order situation in the area has deteriorated drastically. In fact the in-Charge of Marine police station is not active in the field."

The local legislator, Swarup Kumar Das from Biju Janata Dal, who was present at the hospital said, "Bijay was a good human being and he did not have any past enmity with anyone. The police are doing their duty and I hope the truth will prevail soon enough."

Refuting allegations of deteriorating law and order situation in the town, Das said, "As Balasore is fast developing into an economic zone, criminals from other states are targeting the area for extortions."

Following his death, the family members of Bijay staged dharna in front of the police outpost at the hospital demanding justice. The hospital premise was filled with his supporters, family and friends who had put the body on the hospital campus as a mark of protest against alleged inefficiency of the police.

When asked about the protest at the hospital premise, the IIC of Town Police station, Subhranshu Sekhar Nayak said, "We have pacified the aggrieved family members of the deceased. The body has been sent for an autopsy."