Murder, theft, attack on teacher on a single day rock Bhubaneswar; oppn slam govt

Bhubaneswar, Oct 13 (PTI) A murder that took place around 8 am, an attack on a President award-winning teacher, and a theft in a temple are among several crimes to have rocked Bhubaneswar on a single day on Monday.

Following the crimes, opposition parties slammed the BJP government over the law and situation in the Odisha capital.

A laboratory attendant of AIIMS Bhubaneswar was shot dead by unidentified persons when he was on a motorbike to the hospital around 8 am, police said.

The victim, Sudhanshu Khuntia, was an outsourced worker.

According to the police, some miscreants chased and fired on him near Ransinghpur. Locals shifted him to the AIIMS, where doctors declared him dead.

The police began an investigation and suspected that Khuntia was killed over some past rivalry.

Khuntia's family has registered a complaint against his uncle's family.

Several members of the two families were also injured when they engaged in a clash, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said.

"Our team is investigating the case, and very soon the accused will be arrested," he said.

The police have detained three persons in connection to the murder of Khuntia, officials said.

In another incident, Dwiti Chandra Sahu, a President award-winning teacher from Rayagada district, was seriously injured after allegedly being attacked by unidentified miscreants near Bhubaneswar railway station.

The attackers assaulted him with a wooden plank and fled after snatching his mobile phone. He was admitted to Capital Hospital with a serious head injury, the police said.

In another incident, the body of a labourer was found near a construction site under the Chandrasekharpur police station area, he said.

"The investigation is going on. If it is found to be a homicide case, action will be taken accordingly," Singh said.| Apart from these, miscreants broke into Tarini temple in Nayapalli area here and decamped with ornaments worth lakhs of rupees late Sunday night, a member of the temple's management body said.

After receiving a written complaint, the Nayapalli police started an investigation into the loot.

Opposition parties like the BJD and the CPI(M) criticised the government over the “deteriorating” law and order situation.

“Unrest in the state capital, open reign of terror is growing. Who will provide security to the people? Only after occurrence incidents, the police administration under the BJP government becomes active, which makes criminals fearless,” BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said in an X post.

Bullets are flying in broad daylight and criminals are roaming freely without fear, he alleged.

“While the state's law and order has deteriorated, it is most surprising that the BJP government is not attentive. Prioritising people's safety, the government should take strict measures to ensure a fear-free environment,” he said.

Similarly, CPI(M) leader Suresh Chandra Panigrahy said the murder and other crimes in Bhubaneswar have once again exposed the complete collapse of law and order under the so-called “double engine” BJP government.

The crimes taking place in the state capital, under the nose of the state administration, reveal the lawlessness and administrative paralysis, he claimed.

Panigrahy demanded immediate arrest of all culprits involved in the murder and other cases. PTI BBM RG BBM NN