Bhubaneswar, May 17: Nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 19-year-old in Rayagada district, following a coordinated multi-state police operation, officials said Sunday.
The alleged masterminds—Umesh Hial, Raj Seemli, and Akshaya Samal—are residents of Madanpur in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.Y. Shyam Sunder, V. Lokesh Kumar, B. Pawan Kumar, and S. Prem Kumar were apprehended in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Sumit Jain was arrested from Kesinga in Kalahandi district, while Raja Huika was taken into custody in Rayagada.
According to police, the victim, Nikhil Hadipa, was abducted and shot during a local puja celebration at Budurabhalasa Sahi in Rayagada town on the night of May 9. The attackers reportedly chased him to Indira Nagar Third Lane, where they fired at him, causing bullet injuries to his chest and waist. The assailants then abducted him and later killed him, dumping his body on the banks of the Nagavali River. His body was recovered the following morning.
Following a complaint by the victim’s family, police formed six special teams to track the suspects across Odisha, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. Using technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the teams carried out coordinated arrests.
Police suspect the murder was linked to a dispute over the division of several crores in cash and ornaments allegedly looted from a gambling den in Bandhugaon, Koraput district.
Rayagada Superintendent of Police Swati S. Kumar stated that authorities seized 11 mobile phones, a pistol, two vehicles, and multiple credit cards during the operation. She added that the investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected as several suspects remain at large.
