Bhubaneswar, June 24 (IANS) Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Prateek Singh said the main accused in a murder case of a hotel owner sustained serious bullet injuries during an encounter with the police in Odisha’s Puri district on Wednesday.

Speaking to media persons during a press briefing, SP Singh said, “We received information late last night at the Baliapanda Police Station regarding an incident at Hotel Manorama, located on Dhabaleswar Road. The owner of the hotel, Pabitra Nayak, aged around 45 years, was allegedly assaulted and stabbed by a group of individuals at around 1 a.m.”

He also added that the police officers also came to know that a person identified as Chandan Kumar Palar, among the accused persons, who was working as a staff member at the hotel, assaulted the hotel owner Nayak.

Upon being informed about the incident, the police swung into action and the Inspector-In-Charge (IIC) of Baliapanda Police Station, Inspector Sangita Das, along with his team immediately rushed to the crime site.

Meanwhile, the victim hotel owner was shifted from the site to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) of Puri, but he had already succumbed to his injuries.

SP Singh said the police later started collecting evidence about the incident from the crime site, hotel staff and others.

Puri Deputy SP Prashant Sahoo, Inspector Sangita Das, and other police officials engaged in an investigation and started gathering evidence against all those involved in the crime.

“Subsequently, we received information that Chandan Kumar Palar was heading towards a cashew grove near the Matamath (noted monastery in Puri) and was trying to hide there. Acting on the tip-off, the Baliapanda IIC and his team reached the location and tried to apprehend him, he suddenly opened fire at the police officers. The cops in order to protect themselves, retaliated. During the exchange of fire, Chandan Palar sustained a bullet injury to his leg,” SP Singh added.

The injured accused was immediately shifted to the Puri DHH where he received first-aid treatment. He was later referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Kataka for further treatment.

The Puri SP also noted that in connection with the incident that occurred on Tuesday night, a murder case has been registered while efforts are underway to trace and arrest the other accused persons involved in the crime.

Multiple police teams have been formed, and search operations are currently being carried out.

–IANS

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