Baripada: A 50 year-old livestock farmer was shot dead by miscreants in a suspected loot attempt on his way back home from a weekly market on Mayurbhanj-Keonjhar border in Odisha on Sunday. 

The deceased was identified as Heerananda Mahanta of Kalanda village in Raruan tehsil of Mayurbhanj district. He had gone to the local haat in Angarpada to buy cattle when some youths opened fire at him. While he died on the spot, the assailants decamped with Rs 51,000 cash from him. 

As per reports, Mahanta was living with his in-laws in Khuntapada village near Sadinga in bordering Keonjhar district. On Sunday afternoon, he had gone to the weekly market in Angarpada to buy cattle. However, unable to find a suitable bullock, he was returning home at around 12.30 pm when four bike-borne armed miscreants intercepted him at a secluded place near Kendua village. They asked him to hand over the cash bag at gunpoint. When Mahanta resisted, they fired at him killing him on the spot. The accused then snatched the money and sped away. 

Police begin probe

On getting information, Ghagarbeda police immediately reached the spot and rushed a bleeding Mahanta to Karanjia sub-divisional hospital but doctors declared him brought dead. A team led by Raruan SI Bibekananda Behera, Karanjia SDPO Nabakrusna Nayak and Ghagarbeda OIC Sadalabala have started investigation into the incident and a case has been registered.

A few weeks back, a tuition teacher was shot dead by miscreants in full public glare in Mayurbhanj. The accused were nabbed from Jharkhand and a country gun was seized from their possession. The repeated shooting cases in the region have ignited concerns of cross-border arms smuggling and security issues.

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