Bhubaneswar, July 12: Tension ran high at Bhingarpur on the outskirts of the city after a fruit vendor was killed here last night.

Residents of the area, most of them women, ransacked a licensed foreign liquor shop and set it on fire after they found the body in a culvert a few metres from the store.

Police said the victim, identified as Rabindra Sahu, 48, was murdered after he and two of his friends had drinks from the liquor store that was ransacked.

Rabindra used to sell coconuts and bananas at Bhingarpur, which falls in Balianta police limits. He was a resident of Rayadapada village.

“The body was found in the culvert this morning. The deceased has several injury marks on the head,” said a senior official of Balianta police station. The cops are yet to establish the reason behind the murder, but said that it could be because of sudden provocation. The cops have arrested Kotari Guru, 55, one of the two friends of Sahu who had accompanied him to the liquor store last night. The other man is absconding.

Police sources said Rabindra was a staunch supporter of the BJD and had even shaved his head after the death of former chief minister Biju Patnaik. “Preliminary investigations revealed that he used to get angry when anyone spoke against the BJD. We are trying to find out whether this was the sudden provocation,” said a senior police official.

Gobind Sahu, Rabindra’s nephew, alleged involvement of some villagers in the murder. “He had an altercation with some persons over a land dispute three years ago. We have told the police about the land dispute,” said Gobind.

The police have seized the body and have started an investigation after conducting a post-mortem.

Residents, however, set the liquor shop on fire alleging that the outlet had caused a spurt in criminal activity. “We have been opposing the opening of the shop, but the authorities have not done anything. Hoodlums who frequent this shop often pass lewd remarks at girls passing by,” alleged Sarojini Sahu, one of the protesters. The agitators also blocked the road and demanded compensation for the family of the deceased.

The police officials said they too had objected to the location of the shop, which was too close to the road. “We had objected to the location of the store when the district collector asked us about it before the excise officials granted licence to the shop about three months ago,” said an official.