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Tension in Mayurbhanj as shopkeeper is butchered and killed

Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar

Dara Singh, prime accused in the gruesome murder of Australia-born missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons at Manoharpur in Keonjhar district in January, struck again last evening when he and his supporters killed a garment shop-owner at Podiabeda village in Thakurmunda block of Mayurbhanj district.

Thirty-year-old Sheikh Rehman was killed in an equally gruesome manner at 1630 IST yesterday, sending a wave of shock and fear among the people of the surrounding areas.

Most people remained indoors today and shops and markets were closed even 24 hours after the incident.

Sources in the Orissa home department admitted that resentment and anger against the killing is growing in the area, but claimed that the tension is under control.

All the top government and police officials of the district have reached Podiabeda to assess the situation. Director General of Police Dilip Kumar Mohapatra, who was touring neighbouring Balasore district, also rushed to the spot last night.

District Collector S Balakrishna was not available for comments today as he too had gone to the site of the murder. But Superintendent of Police Pradip Kapur told rediff.com that a Home Guardsman who witnessed the incident claimed to have seen Dara Singh at the head of the mob.

The state government, however, appears to be in no hurry to confirm the involvement of Dara Singh, who was indicted last month by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Staines murders and carries a reward of Rs 600,000 for his capture. The state home secretary told reporters in Bhubaneswar: "We have no information about Dara Singh's involvement till now."

Sources in the home department said three persons have been arrested in connection with the murder and police have launched a hunt for the rest.

Interestingly, the site of the latest murder is just 16 km from Manoharpur.

According to reports reaching Bhubaneswar, the mob brandishing swords and axes appeared suddenly at the weekly village haat, looking for Rehman. Seeing them, Rehman fled, but they chased and caught him and severed both his arms before setting fire to his shop and throwing him in.

A watchman who witnessed the incident hiding behind another shop informed the Thakurmunda police station. The police rushed to the spot and pulled Rehman out of the fire, but by then he had sustained more than 70 per cent burns.

Rehman was rushed to the local Karanjia hospital, but he died a couple of hours later.

The local people then carried his body to the sub-collector's office where more than 2,000 people of nearby areas gathered. By then the district collector and superintendent of police also reached the spot.

Keeping in view the resentment against the killing, armed police have been posted in Thakurmunda.

Dara Singh, said to be an activist of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu militant organisation, was accused of terrorising and attacking Muslim shopkeepers of Thakurmunda before the killing of the Staines family. He not only attacked trucks loaded with cattle for the slaughterhouse in Calcutta, but is also accused of attacking the driver and helper of a truck. The helper, a Muslim, was killed in the attack.

In fact, the attacks on Muslims by Dara Singh were confirmed by the Justice D P Wadhwa Commission appointed to inquire into the Staines murder.

EARLIER REPORT:
Dara Singh 'burns' minority youth

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