Dhenkanal: A week has passed since the shocking murder of BJD youth wing leader Jasobant Parida, police are yet to crack the case, leading people to question the efficacy of cops in solving such criminal acts.

Four unidentified assailants had shot dead Parida, 48, a close aide of steel minister Prafulla Mallick, at Gandhimandir in Kamakhya town. Soon after the murder, two local ministers met the chief minister and demanded immediate action.

The police have been able to trace the Bhubaneswar-based owner of the Bolero that the assailants had used in the crime. Police sources said the Bolero was stolen a few days ago and its owner had lodged a complaint at Saheednagar police station.

The police also found that the killers had withdrawn Rs 32,000 from the owners account by using a debit card that was in the Bolero at the time of the theft. The culprits got the card's personal identification number (PIN) from a diary that was in the vehicle.

Cops are, however, investigating why the Bolero owner had written down the card's PIN in his diary.

A police officer claimed that all angles were being investigated. At least 20-25 persons have been interrogated and the vehicle owner is also under the scanner. The police were also probing the 2014 case when there was a murder attempt on Parida's life. The accused is out on bail.

The police investigation has also not made clear whether the motive behind the murder was political or business rivalry. The cops said that they were treading very cautiously as Parida was a BJD leader and had close links with Mallick

"We are questioning several people. We cannot rule out anything at this point of time till we reach at a conclusion," said a senior police official.

Dhenkanal police chief Santosh Kumar Nayak, who took charge recently, is hopeful of solving the case within three to four days.

"We have made headway in the probe and are going to crack it very soon," said Nayak.

Body found

The body of an unidentified man was retrieved from Paika riverbed near Samantraipur village under Tirtol police limits. The body was found in a decomposed state and was sent for post mortem. Investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the death.