Khurda: Tension ran high as miscreants chased and hacked a youth to death in broad daylight at Chachra Sabar Sahi Square near Jatni by-pass road in Khurda, Sunday.
A separate group also assaulted another youth and rendered him critical at Mukundaprasad Square before absconding. The deceased was identified as Md. Sajid alias Saju of Mukundaprasad, Malisahi area and the critically injured youth as Zahir Ahmed of Taraboi.
After being informed, family members rescued a grievously injured Sajid and rushed him to a hospital, from where he was shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar. However, he succumbed on the way.
Murder of the youth sparked tension in the area as family members put the body at Mukundaprasad Square and staged a road blockade by burning tyres. An irate mob also vandalised over 20 bikes in Poda Sahi and Dadhibaman Sahi in Mukundprasad and assaulted two cows in a nearby Goshala. They also barged inside the houses in the area and attacked the family members inside.
Meanwhile, police reached the spot and drove them away but that failed to diffuse tension. On being informed, Khurda Collector Chanchal Rana and SP Avinash Kumar reached the spot and placated the irate people.
Police sent the body for post-mortem and registered a case of murder over a complaint filed by the brother of the deceased. Over five platoons of armed police force have been deployed in the area to manage law and order while Sub-Collector Deeptiranjan Sethi imposed prohibitory order under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in ward no-1, 2, 3, 21 and 22.
All business establishments except medicine stores and provision stores have been directed to shut down indefinitely.
Later, DGP YB Khurania, ADG (headquarters) RK Sharma, ADG (Intelligence) Soumendra Priyadarshi, IG (central) Sanjay Kumar and DIG Jugal Kishore reached the spot and took stock of the situation. They also urged people to maintain peace.
Sources said the development is stated to be a fallout of simmering tension between two groups of youths over alleged cattle trafficking.
PNN