Contractor Shot Dead During Drinking Session in Bhubaneswar; 8 Arrested After Cover-Up Unraveled

Bhubaneswar: Police have cracked the murder of 25-year-old contractor Tapan Nayak (alias Tapu) following a shooting incident at Badatanki Sisupalgarh under Dhauli police station limits late Wednesday night. Eight persons have been arrested after investigators exposed a fabricated cover-up story fabricated by the suspects.
The incident occurred around 11:30 PM on November 4 inside the Maa Dakhinakali Construction office campus behind Nabajyoti College, where a group of around seven to eight individuals were drinking alcohol together. An altercation broke out during the session, leading one of the associates to open fire on Nayak over a suspected monetary dispute.

Following the shooting, two of the accused transported a critically injured Nayak on a motorcycle to Capital Hospital, after which he was referred to Apollo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

To mislead investigators, the suspects initially claimed that two unidentified bike-borne assailants had shot Nayak near Mausi Maa Bridge. However, police interrogation and field investigations unraveled the plot. Authorities subsequently recovered the murder weapon from the nearby Gangua Nallah with the assistance of the Fire Services department.

Dhauli Police have registered a case (No. 305/2026) under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the SC/ST Act, arresting eight individuals involved in the crime and cover-up.