Street vendor murdered over old enmity: Police arrest suspect

Sambalpur: Body of a street vendor was found on the Domuhani forest road near Khadiapali village in Sambalpur district on Wednesday. Police said Jagannath Palai, 36, of Khadiapali was murdered over a long-standing personal enmity.Kuchinda sub-divisional police officer Pradeep Dash said Jagannath had gone out on Tuesday to sell snacks in nearby villages. While returning home in the evening, Jagannath allegedly encountered Rohit Behera, with whom he had an altercation. Police said the two shared a history of rivalry. About five years ago, a dispute between them had turned violent, during which Jagannath had allegedly assaulted Rohit, resulting in a fracture to the latter’s hand.Nursing a grudge, Rohit allegedly attacked Jagannath with a wooden stick on Tuesday, striking him on the head and killing him on the spot.The murder took place on a deserted stretch near the outskirts of the village. As it was already evening and the area was isolated, the murder initially went unnoticed. When Jagannath failed to return home, his family members launched a search and later discovered his bicycle and blood-soaked body on Wednesday.After getting information, Kuchinda police reached the spot, recovered the body and launched an investigation. A forensic team also visited the scene for further examination.Police said Rohit allegedly confessed to the crime during interrogation. He was subsequently arrested on murder charges and produced before a local court which remanded him to judicial custody on Wednesday.