Paradip, May 23: A night watchman on duty at the Rural Works Development divisional office in Jagatsinghpur was gunned down today morning by unidentified criminals, sparking off major tension in the area.

Angry people rose in protest and staged a road blockade after they came to know about the murder of the 48-year-old watchman, paralysing vehicular traffic for over four hours in Jagatsinghpur town.

Criminals opened fire from a close range at Somnath Das inside the Rural Works Development divisional office. The bullets pierced into his chest and abdomen and he died on the spot. There was no eyewitness to the brutal killing as it occurred during the early hours of today.

The employees of the division office were shell-shocked to find Das's motionless body lying in a pool of blood near the staircase of the two-storey building. Police and forensic teams rushed to the spot after the officials informed them about the murder.

Police are trying to elicit clues about the murder by verifying the CCTV footages.

"The exact motive of the crime is yet to be established. However, it was a pre-planned and organised crime. It was not executed on the spur of the moment," said Manoj Kumar Mahanta, the sub-divisional police officer.

The incident exposed the steady downslide in law and order situation in the region. The criminals opened fire at the night watchman and fled. Police reached the spot late. With precious time lost, the assailants escapedunder the cover of darkness.

"Police will soon arrest the killers," Mahanta said.

"Our life and property is not safe. Traders and businessmen havebecome soft targets for criminals. Peace-loving people are also beginning to feel unsafe while the police is playing a catch-up game," said Binoy Kumar Ray, a local resident.

In another incident, a bus conductor was grievously injured when motorcycle-borne men shot at him in Narua Chhak under Tirtol police station limits.

Murder arrests

Police have cracked a murder case with the arrest of Sudam Palai, 31, of village Chianipani in Bansadiha police station limits of Bhadrak district, and his wife Sumitra Palai, 24.

The accused were sent to jail yesterday after being forwarded to a local court.

The couple were taken into the custody for the murder of a 24-year-old Gram Rojgar Sevak Suchismita Puhan of Nikanidiha village in Basudevpur police station limits. Her body was found in a drain beside National Highway No. 5 near Belamela on Tuesday.

According to the police, Sudam killed the victim and Sumitra helped him dispose of the body. A police official said that Sudam, a driver by profession, had a relationship with Suchismita since the past three years and had promised to marry her.

However, he married Sumitra about a year ago. But, Sudam continued his relationship with the victim. Suchismita, who did not know about the marriage, would pester him to marry her.

Last Monday, Sudam had called Suchismita to the bus stand on the pretext of marrying her. After Suchismita got into Sudam's vehicle, he strangulated her to death and took her body to his house. Then, with the help of his wife, he dumped the body late at night.

Additional reporting by SIBDAS KUNDU