In a shocking incident, three persons, including a doctor, were stabbed to death by a man at Khandagiri square in the city on Tuesday morning. The gruesome murder happened just a few metres away from the famous historical site Khandagiri and Udaygiri.
The accused was identified as Snehaswakshar Samal of Sailashree Vihar of the city. The Commissionerate Police arrested Samal and admitted him in a private hospital in the city.
According to sources, Samal in the morning came to the residence (plot number 113/C) of senior orthopedic surgeon Dr Atulya C Meher at Khandagiri Vihar and knocked the front gate to meet him. When the residence’s caretaker Prashanta Behera (50) came, Samal told him to call Dr Meher. Showing a fresh flower bouquet to Behera, he clarified that he came to wish him for a successful operation.
However, when Behera, gauging his mood tried to flush him out, a scuffle took place and later Samal stabbed him and his son Manu (16) then and there. In the meantime, Behera’s wife Runu (35) appeared there and created a howling. Soon, Samal attacked her with a sharp weapon and left her critically injured.
At this, when Dr Meher came out, Samal pounced on him and also stabbed him to death. The attacker was also injured in the fight. locals said, the well-dressed assailant came out of the residence with his blood stained knife dress.
He shouted in front of Dr Meher’s house and walked like a normal man towards Khandagiri hill road connecting NH-5 leaving his Honda Activa scooter near the spot.The local people nabbed the accused and called PCR van for immediate help, but the PCR staff allegedly responded late and reached the spot a little later.
Critically injured Runu was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, where she was undergoing treatment. Her condition was stated to be critical.Twin City Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma along with Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi, other police officers and a scientific team reached the spot and started interrogating Dr Meher’s wife to find out the reason behind the heinous murder.
“The actual reason is yet to be known,” said Dr Sharma, adding, “We are investigating the incident from all angles to ascertain the actual reason behind the crime. We will also interrogate the culprit as well as the doctor’s wife to proceed in the case.”
Meanwhile, the police recovered footage of the two CCTV cameras installed outside Dr Meher’s house to get further detail about the incident. The police also seized Samal’s bike, three sharp weapons ‘katuris’ and flower bouquet from the spot.The Commissioner of Police said Samal, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree holder, was a medicine representative five years back. He has a medicine store at Kanan Vihar in the Patia area in the city.
Dr Sharma said the doctor was staying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before moving to Odisha six months ago. The doctor was working as an orthopaedic surgeon in a private hospital in the city, he added.Police sources said that it was a preplanned murder and the accused killed the doctor in front of his mother.