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.

Thank God, Hudhud severity less in Odisha

--Communication affected in some dists as trees fall on road

BHUBANESWAR: Thank God, finally Odisha got spared from the eye of cyclonic storm Hudhud that hit the coast at Pudimadaka, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday noon. The people of the State heaved a sigh of relief after they escaped from a danger. 

Though the south Odisha districts, Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri, experienced a wind speed of 60-70 kmph along with intermittent rainfall in the afternoon, the people felt relatively relieved from an expected fury of the nature.  

The people, who have experienced wind speed of 270-80 kmph during the Super Cyclone in 1999 and 210-20 kmph during Phailin in 2013, were much worried about the Hudhud’s movement. But the fear has gone when the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that intensity of the storm would decrease after six hours of its landfall. 

Under the influence of Hudhud, trees in several areas of the south Odisha districts got damaged and fell on the road as a result of which roads were blocked and communication was hit. Around 50 mud houses were collapsed due to heavy rain in Koraput, Ganjam, Gajapati and Malkangiri districts. 

As it was a new experience for the people of Koraput and Malkangiri, the cyclone prediction and evacuation by the administration created fear among the people of these tribal dominated areas. Koraput districts’ Pottangi area, which is in the border of Andhra Pradesh, witnessed heavy rainfall. Around 15 houses were damaged in the storm, reports said. 

In Ganjam, the situation was bit normal despite a wind speed of 70-80 kmph in the district. One Udaynath Sahu of Siddheswar village under the Digapahandi police limits in the district was killed when wall of his house fell on him. 

Situation of Rayagada and Malkangiri was also normal after landfall of the storm. No eventuality was reported by the evening. 

Similarly, Gajapati district also witnessed heavy rainfall of 304 mm. The district administration has evacuated around 57000 people and sheltered them in 643 cyclone shelters in the district expecting post landfall effect of the storm.      

A curfew like situation prevailed all over the market and roads of south Odisha districts. The shops had been shut and there were virtually no vehicles on roads, reports added. 

Meanwhile, after landfall of cyclone Hudhud, the IMD bulletin said, the system would maintain the intensity of very severe cyclonic storm for six hours and gradually weaken into cyclonic storm in subsequent six hours while moving northwestwards across south interior Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Gale with speed reaching 100-120 kmph gusting to 130 kmph will prevail for six hours after landfall and 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph for subsequent six hours over East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of north Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Odisha, the bulletin said.

Squally winds with speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph would also prevail for the next 12 hours after landfall in south Chhattisgarh and adjoining districts of north Telangana and south Odisha, the IMD said.

Delhi-based Odia body teaches Odia language to USA delegation

BHUBANESWAR: Delhi-based leading organisation Intellect Odisha foundation along with Odisha Diary, Odi Kart and Odia Radio on Monday felicitated a group of students and academic members from California University, United States. The group has visited Odisha to participate academic research activity on various socio cultural aspects.

Speaking on the occasion the leader of the team and professor at California University, Prof Annapurna Pandey said the students were overwhelmed with the love they got from people of Odisha during their field visit. 

Prof Pandey, a leading Odia voice in the US and the former president of the Odisha Society of America (OSA), while sharing her experience at the library hall of the Sri Jagannath Temple in New Delhi said, “This is a unique opportunity to show Odia culture and heritage to the outside world.”

Team members from the Intellect Odisha foundation had discussed the basics of Odia language among the US students. They also translated some commonly used Odia phrases for the students and taught them Odia alphabets. 

Speaking about their experience in Odisha, one of the students Jordan Mulvihill said, “Odisha is Incredible. We love the culture, the Sun Temple, the Odishi Dance and the people of the State. I will share this experience among my friends back home and will definitely visit again.”

The Intellect chairman Debendra Rout along with members from Odisha Diary, Odi Kart, Odia Radio and Jagannath Temple felicitated the team of students, Justine Dougherty, Vanessa Rocha, Jordan Mulvihili, Olivia Arstein-Kerslake, Navreet Kaur, Emma Lee and Rosemary Applen. A large number of Odia intellectuals from premier institution like IIT, JNU, DU and senior bureaucrats and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Civil bodies demand justice for K’mal riot victims

--to hold convention on Aug 25 in city

BHUBANESWAR: Civil bodies like National Solidarity Forum (NSF), Odisha Forum for Social Action, Civil Society for Human Rights, IPTA, People Solidarity Concern and political activists would organise a citizens’ convention on August 25 demanding justice for the Kandhamal riot victims. 

The convention would raise the issues including rehabilitation of riot victims in a democratic way and demand stringent action against the culprits involved in the communal violence. The civil bodies would also demand the Government to order a probe by the Special Investigation Probe (SIT) in order to arrest the real culprits. 

NSF’s Pradipta Nayak said the purpose of the convention is to create awareness among people for peace, communal harmony and to generate further pressure on duty bearers to understand their responsibility, to make the people understand the danger of fascism and to strengthen the morale of survivors on democracy. 

Intellectuals and activists like All India Progressive Women’s Association secretary Kavita Krishnan, noted human rights activist Harsh Mander, CPI leader Annie Raja, CPI (M) central leader Suhasini Alli, Janardhan Pati and about 500 people including survivors of the riot would participate in the convention.

Malkangiri tribals to celebrate Aug 15 as Black Day

--releasing of innocent tribals languishing in jail deamnded

JEYPORE: Around 500 people gathered at Marigeta village under the Kalimela police limits in Malkangiri district on Monday hoisting black flags and raised slogans against the Government protesting its tyrannical attitude. The tribals said they would celebrate the Independence Day as Black Day.

The people staged a rally at the village and discussed about six major issues including police atrocity in the name of anti-Maoist operations in their areas. In the protest meeting, the leaders said the police have arrested several innocent tribals implicating them in false cases.

The leaders released the list of innocent tribals who are languishing in different jails. Some of them were Gangi Kummi and Podiyami Debba of Bidigeta village, Budra Madhi, Joga Madkami, Podiya Madhi and Joga Madhi of Tekaguda village, Ganga Kabasi and Ganga Madhi of Kuru village and Irsa Podiyami of Marigeta village.

The tribals participated in the meeting said the revolutionary people should be released and the police should not torture their family members. “If the State does not take any step, they will continue their fight to get their right and basic necessities,” said tribal man.