Sambalpur: In a shocking incident, a 36-year-old meat shop owner was shot dead in broad daylight at Kirba Chhak within the jurisdiction of Burla police on Saturday morning.
The deceased, identified as Mohammad Anish, was reportedly shot multiple times by a 25-year-old named Raja Swami around 11 am.
According to Ajay Kumar Mishra, the Additional Superintendent of Police in Sambalpur, the assailant fired at Anish using an illegal 7.62mm country-made pistol from close range.
Initial investigations revealed that Anish suffered three gunshot wounds.
Law enforcement officials recovered several empty cartridges at the crime scene.
Anish was transported to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla due to excessive blood loss, but doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival.
Police have detained Swami, a resident of the Jharsuguda area, and have confiscated the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting. He is currently undergoing interrogation.
The investigation, which includes a scientific team, is looking into the events leading up to the shooting, particularly whether a personal dispute or a suspected extramarital affair played a role in the incident.
Nasreen Begum, Anish’s elder sister, accused Swami of having previously worked for her brother and residing in a rented property. She stated that Swami had borrowed Rs 50,000 from Anish, a debt he had failed to repay.
Nasreen further alleged that Anish had recently demanded repayment from Swami after his meat business suffered due to the demolition of nearby shops.
She claimed that Swami ambushed Anish on Saturday morning as he returned from Uttar Pradesh, riding his scooter toward his shop.
