In a broad daylight crime on Sunday on the busy Kakat-Sadar Thana road, a motorcyclist was shot dead by three motorbike-borne miscreants near the Shyamsundarpur bridge, just 100 meter from the Kendrapada Sadar police station.
The youth, Kedarnath Swain alias Bapini (32), a resident of Samajori village under the Marshaghai police station, died on the spot as bullet pierced into his head.
Police seized the body and sent it for autopsy to the District Headquarters Hospital, informed SP Nitinjeet Singh.
Bapini was a contractor and had been staying in the Saantasahi area with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. On Sunday, he had gone to the bridge after receiving a phone call. While he reached the bridge, three miscreants opened fire at him from a point blank range. He received bullets in his head and died on the spot.
Being informed, a team of the Sadar police led by IIC Biranchi Bag and SDPO Purna Chandra Pradhan rushed to the spot and seized the body.
Though the reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, the police suspect past rivalry might have led to the crime. Bapini was involved in several criminal activities under the Marshaghai police station.
According to police sources, at the behest of Bapini, Kata Dipu, a hardcore criminal had fired at Sarada Prasanna Das alias Babuli, a member of the Paradip Truck Owner’s Association, while the latter was going to Paradip. Babuli is a co-villager of Bapini. In this case, the Marshaghai police had arrested Bapini.
In another murder case, Bapini was also wanted by the Marshaghai police. Bapini with the help of his associates had shot dead a 27-year- old youth, Rajkishore Behera of Dhaniapada, April 24, 2015.
Meanwhile, the police have formed a team to nab the miscreants involved in killing of Bapini. It has sealed all the entry points and started raids in several hideouts to nab the accused. Police have already identified the miscreants behind the firing, said the SDPO.