Deogaon/Tusura (Balangir): Cracking the death of a youth in Tusura area of Balangir district, the police have arrested seven persons including the elder brother of the deceased for murdering him.

The body of the victim, identified as Nataraj Thanapati alias Nata of Deulagudi village, was found on January 3.

Revealing details of the case, Balangir Superintendent of Police Abilash G said the murder was committed due to a property dispute between the two brothers.

According to police, Nata and his elder brother Laba Thanapati jointly ran a shop in their village. Using the earnings from the business, the brothers had purchased around seven acres of land.

However, Laba allegedly wanted the entire land and the shop registered solely in his name and decided to eliminate his younger brother.

To execute the crime, Laba allegedly hired a contract killer for ₹5 lakh and had paid ₹60,000 in advance.

Modus operandi

Police said the accused initially planned to kill Nata by running him over with a four-wheeler. When the attempt failed, the assailants allegedly threw him off a bridge over the Tel river, leading to his death.

In an attempt to pass the murder off as suicide, Laba later lodged a complaint at the Tusura police station on January 3, claiming an unnatural death.

The SP said a key breakthrough came from the victim’s call records. On the evening before the murder, Nata had spoken to his would-be wife, during which she heard him calling out to a person named Khetra.

Based on the call detail records and the statement of the woman, whom Nata was scheduled to marry on February 5, police intensified the investigation and cracked the case.

The accused have been identified as Naba, Khetramohan Suna of Mundapala, Milan Bahidar of Sagarpali, Mahadeb Naga of Sahajapani, Ranjit Mishra of Kueikeda, Sahil Bagarti of Rengali, Manoj Selma of Tinguripada and Raja Kumbhar of Samaleswaripada. 

During the investigation, police seized a four-wheeler and two two-wheelers from the possession of the accused.