Policemen take the victim Babu to hospital. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 1: A person was stabbed in daylight today at the busy Master Canteen Square, sparking off panic among passers-by.

Police rushed the injured man to Capital Hospital. He was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack when his condition deteriorated.

Police, however, failed to arrest the main accused, identified as Kalia, who fled the spot soon after committing the crime.

The incident occurred in front of the state office of a political party near Master Canteen Square close to an auto-rickshaw stand.

Though the reason behind the stabbing was not known immediately, local residents said they had seen the accused and the victim quarrelling. After sometime, they saw the victim, identified as Babu, lying in a pool of blood while the accused fled the spot.

“I saw the victim sitting near a tree when the accused came towards him. They soon engaged in a verbal duel. Within a minute, the accused stabbed the youth and ran away,” said a local trader.

“Before we could figure out what had happened, we found Babu lying in a pool of blood. We soon informed the police,” he said.

Police said investigation had been hampered as it began raining soon after the incident.

“It rained heavily and so we did not find anyone nearby to question about the incident. First, we had difficulty in identifying them, as the two were daily labourers. We launched a manhunt to arrest the accused after his identity was established,” said a police officer.

Police said that both the accused and the victim were from outside the city and used to stay on the pavement. “After the accused is arrested, the reason behind the stabbing can be ascertained,” said the officer.

The road from Master Canteen to PMG Square had been barricaded for the forthcoming Independence Day parade. “It is a sensitive area, but the city police do not seem interested in removing the pavement-dwellers,” said a local resident.