SIT to probe murder of BJP worker

Bhubaneswar : The Odisha Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker during a pre-poll clash at Khallikote in Ganjam district on May 15, an official said on Friday.

Director General of Odisha Police Arun Kumar Sarangi has directed the SIT to ensure the submission of a chargesheet in the matter within 30 days by expediting the investigation. The SIT has also been directed to give a status report to the IG of Police, Southern Range, from time to time.

“A Special Investigation Team will investigate the Khallikote murder case. The SIT will arrest the rest accused persons early, collect proper evidence (scientific/ forensic/ digital), and submit the chargesheet within 30 days for early trial of the case,” a source with Odisha Police said on Friday.

Meanwhile, senior IPS officer and Additional DGP (Headquarters) R K Sharma has been instructed to camp at Chhatrapur to oversee the law and order situation in Ganjam district during the poll scheduled to be held in eight Assembly constituencies of the district on May 20. Keeping in view the pre-poll violence in Khallikote, a high-level committee, headed by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, Nikunja Bihari Dhal, had earlier approved the deployment of 20 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the district for the 5th phase of election on May 20.

Dillip Pahan, a BJP worker, died while three others sustained serious injuries in a scuffle with the alleged workers of the Biju Janata Dal over putting up of campaign posters at Krushnasaranpur village.

Tension erupted in the locality following the brutal murder of Dillip.

The aggrieved BJP workers held a protest outside the Khallikote Police station seeking immediate arrest of the prime accused in the case. Police resorted to mild cane-charge near Khallikote Police station when the protesting BJP workers attacked the cops with stones and water bottles on May 16.

As many as eight persons have so far been arrested by the Ganjam Police in this connection while several others are still at large.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1.