Bhubaneswar, Nov 5: Concerns over public safety in the state capital have intensified after a 35-year-old construction company employee was shot dead by unidentified assailants on the Shishubhavan Overbridge under Capital Police Station limits late Wednesday night.

The deceased has been identified as Tapan Nayak, alias Tapu, a resident of Satyanagar. The motive behind the murder remains unclear.

The incident comes on a day when two other murder cases were reported in Bhubaneswar—one involving an elderly woman who was allegedly killed and robbed at her residence, and another in which a young man was murdered and his body set on fire. With three murders reported in a single day, questions have been raised over the law-and-order situation in the capital.

According to police sources, Tapu had visited the Jagamara area around 9 pm on Wednesday along with his brother-in-law on a motorcycle to supervise ongoing construction work. As money was required for the work, he reportedly left the site and returned towards Satyanagar on his motorcycle.

Later, around 1 am, Tapu's friend Umesh Jena called his brother-in-law and informed him about the shooting. When Tapu's family members reached a private hospital, they were informed that he had succumbed to his injuries.

However, Umesh Jena, who reportedly informed the family about the incident, has been untraceable since then. Tapu's motorcycle is also missing. Police believe that Umesh's whereabouts could provide crucial clues to the circumstances surrounding the murder.

Preliminary information suggests that two unidentified youths on a motorcycle chased Tapu and opened fire on him while he was on the Shishubhavan overbridge. A bullet struck him in the chest, causing him to fall off his motorcycle.

After receiving information from local residents, personnel from Capital Police Station rushed to the spot and shifted the critically injured victim to Capital Hospital. He was subsequently referred to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

His body has been kept in the mortuary of Capital Hospital.

Tapu is survived by his wife and their four-year-old daughter.

Police from Capital and Sri Lingaraj police stations have launched a joint investigation into the incident. Multiple police teams have reportedly been deployed to conduct raids at different locations to track down the accused.

The investigation is underway, and the motive behind the killing is yet to be established.