Kendrapara, June 12: A trader was shot dead by some unidentified assailants on Saturday night at a busy marketplace in Pattamundai notified council area triggering tension in the township.

Sanjay Swain (37), who owned a photo studio near the bypass lane, was gunned down by at least three motorcycle-borne criminals.

The incident occurred at about 8.30pm yesterday.

It is suspected that the goons knew the victim.

According to an eyewitness, seeing the criminals approach him, Swain ran for cover. The assailants chased the victim and shot him dead from a close range.

The onlookers were afraid and did not come to the rescue of Swain even though the victim had reportedly cried for help.

The incident took place about 300 metres away from the local police station.

After executing the crime with professional expertise, the criminals fled from the scene on their motorcycle.

Police are still groping in dark in ascertaining the motive behind the crime. The assailants are yet to be identified. The incident has prompted deployment of police at strategic junctions of Pattamundai.

“It was a cold-blooded murder. It has become apparent that the criminals shot dead the trader given the manner in which the killing was executed,” said Rama Chandra Goud, sub-divisional police officer, Pattamundai.

“Probe is on. The criminals would be arrested soon. Extortion could have been the motive behind the crime,” Goud said, adding that police were not ruling out the involvement of Kendrapara based crime syndicates in the incident.