Man Murdered by Assailants on Motorbike in Bhubaneswar, Three Arrested

Bhubaneswar, Jan 8 (NationPress) In a disturbing event, a group of bike-riding assailants brutally killed a man close to the bustling Rasulgarh square within the jurisdiction of Mancheswar Police on Wednesday. Authorities have apprehended three individuals and are actively pursuing two primary suspects.
This heinous act has sent shockwaves through Bhubaneswar, especially as the city is heavily secured for the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention happening from January 8-10.
The victim has been identified as Sahadev Nayak, a resident of Kedarpalli slum, falling under the Capital Police station's area in the state capital. He was employed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and was known for his contributions to society. Reports indicate that he also served as the president of the BMC Safai Karmachari Association.
According to sources, Nayak was on his way home after dropping off his daughter at school in the VSS Nagar area that morning. The bike-borne assailants, who had been trailing his motorcycle, attacked him with a sword on the railway overbridge near Rasulgarh square. They fled the scene, leaving Nayak in a pool of blood.
Upon receiving the alert, police swiftly arrived at the scene and transported the victim to Capital Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by medical staff.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident, having filed a case based on a complaint from the victim’s wife. She claimed that certain individuals from the Kedarpalli slum, involved in selling brown sugar, murdered her husband due to his protests against the illegal drug trade in the neighborhood.
It is noteworthy that the deceased had previously served as a Police Mitra (Friends of Police), volunteering to assist local law enforcement in keeping the slums crime-free.
In the aftermath of this incident, the Opposition Biju Janata Dal criticized the state government, asserting that this daylight murder, just 3 kilometers from the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas venue, highlights the deteriorating law and order situation under the new BJP administration.
Odisha's Law Minister, Prithiviraj Harichandan, pledged that the criminals will be apprehended swiftly and will face severe repercussions.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pinak Mishra informed the press that two main suspects, also from the Kedarpalli slum, have been identified and a special team has been formed to capture them. He also mentioned that three individuals have been detained for questioning related to the case. Mishra indicated that preliminary investigations suggest that a prior conflict between the victim and the suspects may have triggered the attack.