Cuttack: The court of district & sessions court here on Wednesday started hearing a case against the Dhal Samant brothers for their alleged involvement in the killing of a Malgodown merchant who refused to shell out extortion money.

Md Farook Tayab, a wholesale pulse dealer at Malgodown, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his shop in November 2014.

The murder had triggered resentment among traders and they downed shutters for two days as a mark of protest.

Police nabbed three criminals in this connection within a month, but the case subsequently faded from memory.

The case returned to focus when Tayab's family members met the deputy commissioner of police in February 2016 and pressed for investigation in the case following the brothers' arrest in January that year.

Later, the cops implicated the siblings in the case and filed a charge sheet.

The police claimed that the trader was killed allegedly at the behest of the brothers after he refused to pay extortion money.

Accordingly, the prosecution presented Tayab's wife Irsat Hahan as a witness for recording of evidence before the trial court.

As part of the process, Sushil Dhal Samant was brought from Balasore jail and produced in court, while Sushant, the elder sibling, was presented through videoconference from Balangir jail for identification by the witness.

"While giving evidence as witness for the prosecution, Irsat said she had no idea who they were. She said she had no knowledge about her husband being threatened by anybody before his death," said Sauri Mohapatra, counsel for the brothers.

"The next date for the proceedings has been fixed for May 14," Mohapatra said.

The Dhal Samant brothers are already facing trial in two kidnapping and a murder case.