Jharsuguda: Lakhanpur police on Wednesday arrested a man for allegedly killing a youth in Lalumunda village under Lakhanpur police station limits in Jharsuguda district.
The accused has been identified as Nilamani Bhoi, while the deceased has been identified as Pradeep Kumar Bhoi (25). Both were residents of Lalumunda village.
According to Jharsuguda SP Gundala Reddy Raghavendra, the incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Wednesday. Following the incident, the victim’s brother, Uttam Kumar Bhoi, lodged a complaint at Lakhanpur police station, based on which an FIR was registered and an investigation was initiated.
Senior police officials, including the Lakhanpur IIC, SDPO, and Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra, visited the spot soon after the incident. A scientific team and a dog squad were also deployed to assist in the investigation.
Preliminary probe revealed that the murder was linked to a long-standing family dispute. According to Jharsuguda SP Gundala Reddy Raghavendra, the accused allegedly attacked Pradeep Kumar Bhoi with an axe, intending to target Uttam Kumar Bhoi over a family-related conflict. However, Pradeep had been sleeping on the veranda of the house for the past two days, and the accused mistakenly identified him as Uttam and attacked him.
After committing the crime, the accused reportedly hid the weapon in a nearby forest. The axe was later recovered by police during the investigation. The SP stated that Nilamani Bhoi was arrested within 12 hours of the incident and was produced before the court.
Further investigation is underway, the SP said.
