RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.24: An agriculture scientist from Karnataka and a fishery expert from Andhra Pradesh breathed their last in a banana orchard near an old petrol pump in Ghaghra block headquarters under Ghaghra police station area of Gumla district.
The agriculture scientist was identified as Lokesh Putta Swami (50), a resident of Mysore, and the fishery expert was identified as Madila Devadasu (51), a resident of Srirampuram Kakullam, Andhra Pradesh. The orchard where they were killed belongs to Shiv Kumar Bhagat.
Superintendent of police of the district, H.P.Janardhanan could not be contacted for his comment on the matter despite three attempts between 2.19 pm to 4.30 pm due to a network issue. However, a locality resident confirmed the incident saying the police are clueless and groping in dark.
“An auto-rickshaw driver, who on Monday night had gone to the orchard, where Devdasu and Swami used to reside, was the first to know about the incident. The driver had gone to bring an auto-rickshaw loaded with vegetables and noticed Swami lying in the pool of blood inside his room, while Devdasu was found lying in the pool of blood about 50 feet away from his room. Bodies of both the victims were sustaining several wounds of sharp-edged weapons used in the crime. He immediately informed the locality residents and by morning the matter spread like wildfire in the locality,” the resident said.
“A murder case been registered in this connection against unidentified and police have started a probe into the matter to ascertain the reason behind the brutal murder and the person involved in it. Those who were noticed at the spot today included police inspector S.N.Mandal, officer-in-charge of Ghaghra police station Akash Pandey, sub-inspector Kaushlendra and Praveen besides others,” the resident said.
A police official requesting anonymity said that it appeared that the criminals damaged the lighting arrangement of the orchard before committing the crime as police found wire and light, not in its place. “It appears that the criminals asked them to open the door. When they opened the door, they killed Swami first. When Devdasu attempted to flee from the spot they chased and caught him to kill,” the police official said.
Police inspector S.N.Mandal, without giving details, confirmed the incident saying ‘no clue has been found so far. The investigation is on.’
