Sundargarh, July 1 (UDN): A suspected robbery attempt ended in the murder of a Ranchi-based YouTuber in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, while the alleged mastermind of the crime died in a road accident during an attempt to flee with the victim’s vehicle, police said on Tuesday.
The victim, identified as Shivdhan Lohar of Ranchi, had travelled to Sundargarh along with his friend, Anmol Mallick, to admit a relative to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The two were returning home in separate vehicles late Monday night when they were reportedly targeted by three armed assailants.
According to the police, the miscreants first attempted to stop Mallick’s vehicle, but he managed to escape. They then intercepted Lohar’s car and allegedly forced him into their custody before driving towards the Hemagiri area. During an alleged attempt to rob the victim of his vehicle and valuables, a confrontation reportedly broke out, following which Lohar was fatally attacked with a sharp weapon. His body was later abandoned near a railway overbridge.
After committing the crime, the accused allegedly fled in the victim’s car. However, their escape was cut short near Bhasma when the vehicle met with a major accident. The prime accused, identified as Subhendu, died on the spot, while another suspect sustained serious injuries and was admitted to GMCH, Sundargarh. A juvenile allegedly involved in the incident has also been detained.
Sundargarh Superintendent of Police Amritpal Kaur said the preliminary investigation points to robbery as the motive behind the murder. Police have recovered evidence from the crime scene and are analysing forensic and technical inputs to reconstruct the sequence of events.
The police are also verifying the criminal background of the deceased accused, who is believed to have been involved in an earlier murder case. A detailed investigation is underway to identify the role of each accused and establish all circumstances leading to the crime.