Berhampur, Nov. 24: Two unidentified criminals today shot BJD leader and councillor of Buguda notified area council A. Balakrishna Patra, 55, dead at Kharianala, about 70km from here.

The crime took place around noon when Balakrishna, who used to run an Indian Made Foreign Liquor off shop and had been in land business, was returning from Buddhakhol to Buguda on his bike, police said.

He is survived by his wife A. Janakirani Patra, who, too, belongs to the BJD and is also a councillor of the Buguda NAC, a son and two daughters.

After the incident, BJD supporters resorted to rasta roko demanding the immediate arrest of the killers.

Deputy inspector general of police (southern range) Amitav Thakur, who visited the spot, said past enmity might be the reason behind the crime. "The criminals have sprayed two bullets into the victim's head from a close range. We hope to arrest the killers by tomorrow."

Buguda police station inspector in-charge Ranjan Kumar Dey said there were no eyewitnesses to the murder.

President of BJD Ganjam district unit Subash Maharana said law would take its own course.

The police today arrested three persons for allegedly beating and abusing a 50-year-old woman and her son after tying them to a concrete pole at Gunthapada in Ganjam. They suspected that the victims had stolen gold jewellery worth Rs 3 lakh from their house. The accused are Premalata Pradhan, 35, Sagar, 24, and Mithun, 22.