Kujang/Erasama: A man was stabbed to death allegedly by a co-worker of the ruling party outside a polling booth at Nolia Sahi village under Balikuda-Erasama Assembly seat in Jagatsinghpur district during polling for the fourth phase of elections Monday.
The deceased was identified as Lachhman Behera, 48, of Nolia Sahi in Gadakujang panchayat under Abhayachandpur police limits in Paradip. The accused Kuna Behera is absconding.
The incident occurred despite the presence of large number of people and police personnel outside the polling booth at Nolia Sahi Project UP School.
According to the villagers, both Lachhman and Kuna were ruling party supporters and cast their votes at the polling booth at 2 pm.
After coming out of the booth, they had a fight as Kuna accused Lacchman of having cast his vote in favour of a candidate from the Opposition party. The police personnel present near the booth drove them outside.
They left the place but fought again on the issue about 200 metres away from the polling booth. Kuna stabbed Lachhman with a broken liquor bottle.
Locals rescued the injured from a pool of blood and rushed him to the Balitutha health centre with the help of police.
After primary treatment, doctors referred him to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. However, doctors pronounced him dead on arrival at SCB.
The incident sparked tension in the area as polling was stopped in the booth for some hours. Polling resumed in the booth after two platoons of armed police personnel arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control.
Tension was palpable in the area. Paradip ASP Bishnu Charan Mishra and Abhayachandpur IIC Jugal Kishore Das rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.
Sarpanch Sampad Barik, social activist Tamil Pradhan, Jivan Lal Behera and Rajan Behera requested the local people to maintain peace.
PNN