Former Ghasipura Assembly seat candidate of Keonjhar district Ramachandra Behera was brutally killed by unidentified miscreants allegedly over political rivalry late on Monday night.
Sources said the assailants called Behera, an ex-Chairman of Anandpur block in the district, from his residence at Dharakote at the night and attacked him with sharp weapons before fleeing from the spot. Locals rescued him in a critical condition and admitted him to a hospital in Anandpur. However, he died while being shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack.
As per the latest reports, four persons were arrested on Tuesday morning in connection with the incident though police did not divulge any further details. The four accused were being interrogated and investigation of the murder case was underway, sources added.
Meanwhile, irate locals took to the streets and staged a road blockade on NH-20 demanding stern action against Behera’s killers. To avoid any untoward incident, police personnel were deployed at the spot till last reports came in.
Reportedly, 60-year-old Behera, a former Congress leader, was to join the BJD on Tuesday.
BJP MLA candidate for the Ghasipura constituency Prithviraj Kuanr alleged that the family of Minister Badri Narayan Patra are involved in Behera’s murder.
Speaking to media, Kuanr said Behera, who was also a noted social activist, was killed by BJD workers. He said, “Behera was an aspiring MLA candidate of the BJD. Children of Minster Badri Patra are involved in the murder. Without their direction, no party worker would dare to commit such a heinous crime.”
The Naveen Patnaik BJD Government, which claims to be a transparent one, should order a CBI probe into the incident, Kuanr said and also demanded that Behera’s call records be examined to unravel the truth of his murder.
However, Minister Patra refuted the allegations, saying that the BJP is bringing such charges since the party knows that they are going to lose in the elections.