BJD Dhenkanal youth wing president shot dead

The BJD’s youth wing president of Dhenkanal district, Jashobanta Parida, was shot dead by unidentified miscreants at Kamakhyanagar in Dhenkanal on Monday morning, the police said. Parida, aged around 40, was travelling in a car when the miscreants intercepted his vehicle and attacked him, said Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police Santosh Nayak. The assailants, who came in an sports utility vehicle (SUV), first hurled bombs at the car near Gandhi Mandir on Hospital Road forced the vehicle to stop.

They subsequently opened fire at the youth leader after forcing him to alight from the vehicle, Nayak said. Parida was immediately rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him “brought dead,” the SP said. The driver of Parida’s car escaped unhurt, he added. Stating that the incident appeared to be a planned attack, he said a massive manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits who fled the scene in the SUV after committing the crime.

Several roads have been sealed and police in nearby areas have been alerted. The investigation into the incident is on and the reason behind the killing is being ascertained, the SP said. Tension gripped the area following Parida’s killing as local residents staged a road blockade and shops were closed.