Jharsuguda, Mar 21: A woman sustained a bullet injury after an unidentified assailant opened fire at her in the Sarbahal area of Jharsuguda district on Friday night.

The victim has been identified as Biswabijayani Jena, wife of local transporter Dhirendra Maharana. She was standing on the veranda of her house when the attacker reportedly fired at her, hitting her leg, before fleeing the scene.

Neighbours rushed to her aid after hearing her screams and found her in pain. Biswabijayani was initially admitted to Jharsuguda District Headquarters Hospital and later shifted to Burla Medical College and Hospital for further treatment. Authorities confirmed that her condition is stable.

Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police, Gundala Reddy Raghavendra, said, “We received information about the firing around 9:30–10 pm and reached the scene promptly. The victim was shot in the right upper thigh and referred to Burla Medical College. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and we are investigating possible enmity.”

The couple has reportedly denied having any previous enmity, and police have launched a detailed investigation to identify and apprehend the attacker.