In a gruesome incident, former Councillor of Baleswar Municipality Tanmoy alias Kunu Panda (39) was murdered in broad daylight at Hari Plaza here on Wednesday.
Tanmoy was a resident of Sovarampur under the Sahadevkhunta police station.
According to information, six assailants came in three motorbikes and attacked Kunu with a sharp dagger on his face and head. Though he was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital, yet he succumbed to the injuries after some time.
Police suspect that the incident is the fallout of a gang rivalry and two rival gangs of Kunu jointly committed the offence. Eyewitnesses said when Kunu was driving bike towards the ITI alone, the miscreants was following him. They first opened fire in the air and then stabbed him.
It may be noted that a 25-year-old man, Gada Hembram, had received bullet injuries as some unidentified miscreants had opened fire at him in the same area on January 1.
The patch beside the OT Road, on which these two incidents occurred, has several prominent establishments like the Government ITI, polymer, plastic and rubber manufacturing units, two major hotels and restaurants, law college, Baleswar Art and Crafts College, office of Baleswar MP and Satsang Mandir along it.
Kunu was a history-sheeter and had gone to jail several times in different cases, including extortion, armed dacoity and a murder that took place in June 22, 2016.
Police suspected two reasons behind the attack, gang war among groups and dispute between two villages, Sovarampur and its neighbouring village.
Kunu is the younger brother of another gangster Papa Panda, who is at large now. Sources said Kunu, who was in a jail in crime, had been released on on bail on Thursday.
Witnesses heard the assailants saying ‘you die and now we would rule’ while speeding away from the spot.
SP Niti Sekhar and other senior officers visited the spot. “The investigation is in progress.
“It is believed that two rival gangs of Kunu and Papa panda have jointly committed the crime,” he said.