Bhubaneswar, May 20: The Bhubaneswar court on Monday sentenced five individuals to life imprisonment in connection with the brutal murder of Sushant Nayak in 2023.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Bandana Kar of the Additional District Judge Court-2, Bhubaneswar. The five convicts – Vishal Nayak, Sujit Nayak, Ajit Nayak, Tikili Nayak, and Subash Nayak – were each fined ₹25,000. In case of non-payment, they will have to serve an additional one-year jail term.
Sushant Nayak, a housekeeping staff member at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CHES) in Aiginia, was hacked to death near GED Basti in Unit-III under the Capital Police Station limits during the early hours of May 24, 2023.
According to police reports, the accused intercepted Sushant while he was returning home after dropping off his wife, who works with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). The attackers used swords and other sharp weapons to kill him.
The incident was reportedly triggered by a molestation complaint filed by Sushant’s family. In April 2023, Sujit Nayak’s nephew, Vishal, was accused of molesting Sushant’s niece. The complaint was lodged with the Capital Police Station on April 25, 2023.
In a retaliatory act, Sujit and his relatives allegedly plotted and executed Sushant’s murder. All five accused fled following the incident, but were later arrested during police operations in Cuttack, Nayagarh, and Khordha districts.
