Kabisuryanagar: Unidentified miscreants shot dead a BJP worker on the main road of Pathrapalli village, under Kabisuryanagar police limits, in Ganjam district over unknown reasons Sunday morning, police said.
The victim was identified as Lakshmi Narayan Paikaray, 55, alias Kuna, a contractor by profession, of Athagarhpatna village. He was an active BJP worker and a close confidante of Kabisuryanagar MLA Pratap Chandra Nayak.
Nayak alleged the involvement of Opposition BJD workers in the murder, while the Additional SP (ASP) said that the reason behind the killing is unclear and is yet to be ascertained. This is the second murder in the Kabisuryanagar Assembly constituency area during last three days.
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Police said Paikaray had several criminal cases registered against him at various police stations in and outside the district. He had returned home two years ago after remaining behind bar in connection with a case.
Paikaray was supervising the construction of a culvert on the main road of Pathrapalli village when three unidentified miscreants arrived at the spot and started video recording the works, Sunday morning. Later, they asked the workers to summon the contractor to the site.
One of the labourers informed Paikaray over phone and called him to the site. As soon as Paikaray got down from his bike, one of the miscreants shot him on his head and fled. Paikaray collapsed on the ground. The labourers rushed him to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
BJP MLA Nayak, Kodala block chairman Suryanarayan Nayak, BJP leaders Sitaram Choudhury, Meera Deo, Ram Prasad Moharana and several others were present at the hospital.
A team led by the ASP Priyaranjan Prusty, and Purusottampur SDPO Deepak Kumar Mishra rushed to the spot and launched an investigation after sending the body for post-mortem. Prusty said that all those involved in the murder will be arrested soon.
PNN