CUTTACK: As law and order situation spirals out of control across the State, brutal murder of three homeless persons in a span of 36 hours sent shockwaves in Cuttack on Wednesday. The murders, which apparently were committed in a similar fashion, left the Commissionerate Police clueless while the perpetrator struck twice on Wednesday itself. All that the police could come up with was it could be handiwork of a psychopath.
On Wednesday, a 35-year-old man was found in a pool of blood under the OMP overbridge which is a busy location and accessed by commuters frequently. Locals informed police about the body which bore deep injury marks on the neck and head. The cops then reached the spot and sent it for post-mortem.
Known as Panda by the locals, the deceased was a daily-wager and used to sleep under the over-bridge.
In the second incident of the day, an elderly man was found with similar injury marks on his neck and head by the Ranihat Medical road side. Though he was rescued and rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment. The 55-year-old is yet to be identified but police said, he was a rag picker and used to sleep on the footpath.
The first murder was reported on Tuesday night when, a 55-year-old daily wager Kodanda Rout was found with his throat slit near Taladanda Canal in Ranihat under Mangalabag police station. There were injury marks on the head.
Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty visited the three murder spots on Wednesday “All three persons have been killed in the same style. It is suspected to be the handiwork of a psycho killer who is targeting homeless people and destitutes in the city,” he said.
As an immediate measure to tighten security, night patrolling will be intensified besides deployment of additional police personnel to protect destitute living on footpaths, he added.
Bombs hurled at sweet stall
CUTTACK: Even as the police are groping in the dark over the accused in the triple murder cases in the city, miscreants hurled bomb at a sweets stall here on Wednesday. Sources said two miscreants came on a bike, hurled bomb at a sweets stall located near Khannagar Puja Mandap under Badambadi police limits at about 9.30 am and fled from the spot immediately. Although no casualty or damage to property was reported from the incident, the broad daylight attack triggered panic in the locality.
“Two miscreants came on a bike, one of them had his face covered, hurled two bombs and immediately fled away. The bombs hit the wall of the shops and exploded,” said owner of the sweet stall Nilu Sahu adding that he did not know why the bombs were hurled. After being informed, Badambadi police rushed to spot and started investigation. Police suspect it to be a fallout of some past rivalry. “We are verifying CCTV footage and effort are on to nab the accused persons,” said a senior police officer.