Bhubaneswar: The festival of Holi, meant to spread colours of joy, took a dark turn in Odisha as five murders were reported from different parts of the state, including two in the capital city Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Despite several effective measures taken by the police to maintain the law and order situation during Holi festivity, the brutal murders have raised serious questions over the effectiveness of policing. The Smart City Bhubaneswar reported two murder cases during Holi celebration. A youth, identified as Gopi Guli, was stabbed to death at Shantipalli slum near Sahid Nagar.
According to sources, Guli had an altercation with four youths. The verbal brawl soon took an ugly turn and miscreants stabbed Guli to death. The deceased’s wife also sustained serious injuries in the attack and has been admitted to the hospital.
In another incident, a person was killed in the Sameigadia area under Mancheswar police limits in the city. The deceased has been identified as Anshuman Pati. According to sources, Pati was chased by the miscreants and stabbed to death on the streets.
“The miscreants who killed my nephew are antisocial. They are involved in many criminal activities. We demand immediate justice,” a relative of the deceased said while raising questions on the effectiveness of the Commissionerate Police.
Similarly, another youth was stabbed to death in Sahoo Colony in Sambalpur, during Holi celebrations. The deceased has been identified as Aditya Salma.
According to sources, one Sahul Singh called Salma from his house to play Holi and stabbed him, resulting in his death. Past enmity is suspected to be the reason behind the murder.
Ajay Mishra, Sambalpur Additional SP said, “Salma sustained serious injuries after being stabbed by Singh. He was immediately rushed to the district headquarters hospital where he was declared brought dead. We have arrested the accused and seized the weapon used in the murder. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.”
Similarly at Lanjipalli Chanakyanagar in Berhampur, a contractor was fatally stabbed over an alleged past rivalry. He was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
A youth was brutally attacked and murdered at Nakhara Sahi in Angul, adding to the series of violent incidents during Holi celebrations in Odisha.
He was rushed to Angul District Headquarters Hospital in a critical condition but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
Initial reports suggest that the murder was a result of past enmity. The Town Police have launched an investigation to identify and apprehend the culprits involved in the crime.