Balangir: A wedding celebration turned into a scene of chaos at Bawajuri village under Deogaon police limits in Odisha’s Balangir district after a suspected contract killing attempt on the groom was foiled by the locals.

The shocking incident took place on Sunday evening when Rajkumar Pradhan, the groom from Gaibahal village, arrived at Bawajuri in a ‘baraat’ procession for his wedding. As the celebrations were in full swing, a group of around ten armed people, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, launched an attack on him.

However, the villagers overpowered seven of the assailants and handed them over to the police. The cops have recovered several weapons from the accused, including a country-made gun.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the attackers hail from nearby villages. Police are probing the matter to identify the mastermind behind the attack and the motive behind the alleged murder attempt.

Sources indicate that a man named Sushant Biswal is suspected of orchestrating the attack. Following the incident, he has gone missing, and his mobile phone remains switched off.