Angul: The district police on Tuesday arrested the person involved in the murder of a former Sarpanch which took place in Banarpal during the wee hours today.
The deceased Sibaram Sahu was attacked by a political rival while he was offering morning prayers outside his house at Balaramprasad. Tension broke out in the region as Sahu was the former Sarpanch of Balaramprasad.
Banarpal police rushed to the spot and conducted a preliminary inquiry. Surveillance was mounted in the region and the accused was rounded up within a few hours.
The initial round of questioning revealed that Sahu was murdered over suspicion of witchcraft. “The accused believed that Sahu resorted to sorcery to prevent the accused’s wife from winning the Panchayat Samiti elections. As she lost the polls, her husband made up his mind to eliminate the former Sarpanch,” a senior police official said.
“The accused has been apprehended and he has confessed to the crime. He will be produced in the court today,” the official added.
