Election violence: ward member candidate killed in Bolangir

--a group-clash also took place in Nayagarh

BOLANGIR/NAYAGARH: Election violence has taken a toll in Bolangir district. The body of a ward member candidate contesting the panchayat election was found dead in the district on Thursday, police said. He was identified as Ekadasia Majhi (30) of Bhadrapalli village under Sadar police station in the district.

According to Ekadasia’s brother, the deceased Eka had gone to his paddy field for some work, but he did not return from the paddy field. Later his body was found from a paddy field near Thapalli village with one of his hands severed. The body also bore some injury marks, they said.

The father of the deceased Sankeswar Majhi alleged that political animosity have killed his son. He also held responsible the political rivals for his son’s killing as few days back there was an argument was taken place between Eka and his rivals.

The police have sent the body for postmortem after recovering from the paddy field, said the police officials of Sadar police station. Investigation is on into the matter and the culprits will be arrested very soon, they added. 

On the other hand, a group-clash occurred in Nayagarh district on Thursday regarding election campaign, which left two injured. Two different groups came on a face to face fight in a village under Sarankula police station of the district. Two cases regarding the fight have been lodged in local police station. The rising election violence becomes a headache for the police, besides the election tension.