Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, two friends were allegedly stabbed to death over parking-related issue at Kalyani Plaza under Airfield police limits in Odisha capital, last evening.

The deceased were identified as Julu Sethi (35) from Kendrapara and Rashmiranjan Sethi alias Jitu (28) from Kantilo.

Upon receiving information, DCP Prateek Singh and a police team arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation.

According to reports, a dispute had been ongoing between Rashmiranjan and Ganesh, who was responsible for maintenance at Kalyani Plaza, over parking. Two days ago, Rashmiranjan had parked his car in front of the plaza, which led to an altercation.

Last evening, Rashmiranjan again parked his car in front of the plaza and went to his nearby shop. Around 9:30 PM, Ganesh arrived, hurled abuses, and asked Rashmiranjan to remove his car. When Rashmiranjan protested, Ganesh retaliated by hitting the car. Enraged, Rashmiranjan struck Ganesh, who then called Pradeep to bring a knife.

Pradeep arrived with more than four accomplices, and they attacked Rashmiranjan, stabbing him in the chest. As Rashmiranjan attempted to flee, they chased and continued to assault him. Witnessing the attack, Julu and another friend rushed to help but were also stabbed by Ganesh and Pradeep.

After the assailants fled, locals informed the police and took the severely injured men to the Capital Hospital. Rashmiranjan succumbed to his injuries on the spot, while Julu died during treatment. The third person remains in critical condition.

Following the incident, tension ran high in the area, prompting increased police patrolling and deployment of additional forces. The families and friends of the deceased have demanded immediate arrest of the accused.