Bhubaneswar: Two unidentified bike-borne miscreants shot at a jewellery shop owner, on Monday evening. The incident took place at Kundheihaat Tini Chhak Bazaar under Kakatpur police limits in Puri district.
The injured shopkeeper has been identified as Niranjan Sahu.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 7 pm when Sahu was sitting in his shop, Alankar Jewellers, in Tini market. Two youths wearing masks arrived on a Honda Shine bike with no registration number and parked it near the shop. They entered the shop, and when Sahu tried to stop them, they pulled out a gun and fired two rounds at him.
One bullet grazed Sahu’s backbone, while another is suspected to be lodged in his leg. In a brave move, Sahu threw nitric acid at the attackers, forcing them to flee the scene, leaving their bike behind. They escaped in another car towards Konark.
Locals rushed Sahu to Kakatpur Community Health Centre, from where he was shifted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar due to his critical condition.
Upon being informed, Kakatpur Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident. The motive behind the attack is still unclear, and police are probing all possible angles.