The accused in the Laxmidutta Pradhan murder case after their arrest. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 22: Police today arrested eight persons for their alleged involvement in the murder of the BJD's Chhatrapur councillor Laxmidutta Pradhan last week.
The police said past enmity was the motive behind the murder, which took place on September 16 in Ganjam district. The cops are on the lookout for the other accused in the case.
Ganjam superintendent of police Ashish Kumar Singh said the murder was pre-planned and it was a fallout of an old rivalry.
'We are trying to ascertain the political affiliations of the arrested accused. We have also seized swords, wooden planks, plastic pipes, a scooter, two motorcycles and a car used in the crime. Though we have arrested eight persons, another five escaped to Bhubaneswar in a car and we are trying to nab them,' added Singh.
Pradhan, 41, a political science graduate from Berhampur University, was one of the most active student leaders of the ruling party in the district.
The police said Pradhan looked after affairs of the BCJD, the BJD's students' wing, in the university till 2010 before becoming a councillor in the Chhatrapur Notified Area Council.
The accused were identified on the basis of CCTV footage. Pradhan was hacked to death by some 10-12 goons near his house. The accused have been identified as Prabhat Nayak, Surya Nayak, Prem Nayak, M. Eeswar Reddy, Kuna Nayak, Jiten Nayak, Sushil Nayak and Prasant Swain.
The cops also hinted at a link between the murder and the killing of CPI leader Sakura Behera in July 2014. Pradhan was an accused in that case and was out on bail at the time of his own death.
The police said the accused had a meeting a few days before the murder to finalise the plot.
'Prima facie, Pradhan's murder is linked to the previous murder. The accused told us that they hatched the plan to eliminate him, a strong BJD leader in the area, and a few staunch supporters of Behera who recently joined another major political party,' said a police officer.
Pradhan's family members and the BJD had alleged involvement of his political rivals in the murder.
