Bhubaneswar shocked by heinous triple murder

--Doctor killed in front of his mother

CCTV footage

BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking incident, three persons, including a doctor, were stabbed to death by a man at Khandagiri square in the city on Tuesday morning. The gruesome murder happened just a few metres away from the famous historical site Khandagiri and Udaygiri. 

The accused was identified as Snehashis Samal of Sailashree Vihar of the city. The Commissionerate Police arrested Samal and admitted him in a private hospital in the city. 

According to sources, Samal in the morning came to the residence (plot number 113/C) of senior Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Atulya C Meher at Khandagiri Vihar and knocked the front gate to meet the doctor. When the residence’s caretaker Prashanta Behera (50) came, Samal told him to call Dr Meher. Showing a fresh flower bouquet to Behera, he clarified that he came to wish him for a successful operation. 

After a few minutes, Dr Meher came to the portico and wondered what happened. At the same time, Samal suddenly stabbed the doctor leaving him dead on the spot. When Behera along with his son Manu (16) and wife Runu (35) protested, the assailant attacked them too. In the scuffle, Behera and his son died on the spot, while Runu was critically injured. The attacker was also injured in the fight. 

After the fight, locals said, the well-dressed assailant came out of the residence with his blood stained knife dress. He shouted in front of Dr Meher’s house and walked like a normal man towards Khandagiri hill road connecting NH-5 leaving his Honda Activa scooter near the spot. 

The local people nabbed the accused and called PCR van for immediate help, but the PCR staff allegedly responded in late and reached the spot a little later.  

Critically injured Runu was undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack. Her condition was stated to be critical.

Twin City Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma along with Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi, other police officers and a scientific team reached the spot and started interrogating Dr Meher’s wife to find out the reason behind the heinous murder.

“The actual reason is yet to be known,” said Dr Sharma, adding, “We are investigating the incident from all angles to ascertain the actual reason behind the crime. We will also interrogate the culprit as well as the doctor’s wife to proceed in the case.”   

Dr Sharma said Samal, a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree holder, was a medicine representative five years back. He has a medicine store at Kanan Vihar in Patia area in the city, he added. 

The Commissioner of Police said the doctor was staying in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before moving to Odisha six months ago. The doctor was working as an orthopedic surgeon in a private hospital in the city, he added.  

Police sources said that it was a pre-planned murder. The accused killed the doctor in front of his mother, the police said.  

Meanwhile, the police recovered footage of the two CCTV cameras installed outside Dr Meher’s house to get further detail about the incident. The police also seized Samal’s bike, sharp weapons and flower bouquet from the spot.