Rajnagar: The case in which a man was killed while trying to save his niece from kidnappers took a dramatic turn Thursday after the girl refuted the allegations of murder and instead came out in support of her boyfriend and his friends who were accused of kidnapping her.
“They were not kidnapping me. But, I eloped with them. But uncle chased us on a motorbike and met with an accident, leading to his death, ” the girl said before the court.
The deceased has been identified as Bichitrananda Biswal, paternal uncle of the girl.
The abductee supported her boyfriend in her statement before the JFCM Court during the hearing.
Even, the girl was seen holding her lover’s hands inside the court room.
“Uncle was chasing us in a motorcycle and eventually lost control over his vehicle. In turn, his motorcycle hit a roadside tree and he sustained grievous injuries. Some locals later rescued him in critical condition and rushed him to Rajnagar community health centre (CHC), where he succumbed, ” the girl added.
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Based on the girl’s statements, Rajnagar police released the detained youth and three of his friends who helped him in the alleged kidnap incident.
The four youths were presented before JFCM Jyotirmayee Sarangi. Police asked them to cooperate in probe, in case needed.
However, the youths were told not to leave their respective villages.
On the other hand, Rajnagar police had previously registered a case (No-71/2022 under Sections 366, 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code) and launched a detailed investigation into the case which is still underway, ASI Bibhuprasad Rout expressed.
It will be confirmed whether the death of Bichitrananda was due to murder or accident, after post-mortem report comes in, Rout said.
It is pertinent to mention, as per an FIR lodged by the girl’s brother with Rajnagar police, Bichitrananda was severely beaten to death with iron rods when he tried to save his niece from being kidnapped by the alleged miscreants from Chandrasikhar village of Kurunti panchayat under Rajnagar police limits of Kendrapara district, Monday night.
Police had started an investigation and picked up the four youths.
According to the complainant Debendra Kumar Biswal, the four youths arrived on four bikes at around 9.30pm and kidnapped his sister. The girl’s aunt raised an alarm following which the uncle Bichitrananda came out of the house and chased the ‘kidnappers’ on a motorcycle. He later intercepted them outside a house in Junupangara village.
Enraged with the developments, the so called key accused, identified as Srikant Jena alias Lipu, scuffled with Bichitrananda. Subsequently, Debendra reached the spot along with one of his friends where he found Srikant and three of his friends severely thrashing his uncle.
Srikant hit his uncle Bichitrananda hard on the head with an iron bar following which the latter collapsed on the spot, the FIR mentioned.
PNN