Three Arrested for Murder of Friend in Balangir’s Atanla Village

Balangir: The police have cracked a murder case reported from Atanla village under Deogaon police station limits in Balangir district with the arrest of three accused, all of whom were childhood friends of the deceased, Sujit Bhoi.

The accused have been identified as Raja Kata and Om Nanda of Bandhapada, and Irfan Chatria of Dangarpada.

According to police, the incident occurred on the evening of October 26, around 7 PM, when the four friends were drinking together at Patarphadi in Atanla village. During the gathering, Raja reportedly received a phone call from his mother and asked his friends to remain quiet. However, Sujit allegedly ignored the request and began abusing him, which led to a heated argument.

In a fit of rage, the trio allegedly assaulted Sujit and fatally struck him on the neck with a sharp object found nearby.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Balangir SDPO said that Raja confessed to committing the crime under the influence of alcohol. All three accused worked as Dulduli drum players.

The murder weapon has been seized, and the accused have been forwarded to court. Police said further investigation is underway.