Cuttack, Aug. 13: Police today detained three persons in connection with the murder of a businessman, Rabi Lenka, 55, who was shot dead near College Square last night.

Lenka was shot dead by unidentified criminals around 9:15pm when he was standing near College Square. The criminals had fired four rounds of bullets at him and he had suffered two bullet wounds.

An injured Lenka was rushed to a private nursing home.

Later, he had to be shifted to SCB hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Protesting against the murder of Lenka, who was also the joint secretary of a local puja committee, shopkeepers today shut down their kiosks at College Square.

“We demand a detailed inquiry into the incident, and the culprits should be booked at the earliest,” said local resident Gyana Sahu.

A police officer said the detained persons were being interrogated.

Sources said personal rivalry seemed to be the motive behind the murder.

The victim’s family members alleged that Lenka was killed because of a land deal at Patra Sahi as he had picked up a tiff with some local youths.

“My brother had picked up an argument with a few youths over a plot purchased by one of his friends,” said Badrinarayan Lenka, brother of the deceased.

Badrinarayan alleged that his brother, who had been in the construction business, had opposed the local youths, who were demanding money from his friend after he purchased the land.

Sahu said Lenka had been quite a popular person in the locality due to his helpful nature, and such incidents should be condemned as it was for the second time that a puja committee member had been targeted by the criminals in the city.

In July last year, criminals shot Keshab Behera, secretary of Seikh Bazar puja committee, dead. Five persons were subsequently arrested in connection with the killing that was also the fall out of a past rivalry.