A Congress candidate in the Odisha Assembly elections died in Berhampur on Thursday evening, a day after he was shot, Hindustan Times reported. Manoj Kumar Jena had contested the elections from the Aska constituency.
Berhampur Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra said Jena was attacked by six men on Wednesday evening while he was travelling to state capital Bhubaneswar. “The attack was not due to any political rivalry, but over old enmities and also over his the country liquor business,” Mishra added. “Jena is an accused in two other murder cases. We suspect the murder has something to do with his liquor business that harmed the interests of the accused persons.”
According to The Hindu, unidentified people shot at Jena and attacked him with weapons. Jena’s associate, Anil Swain, sustained bullet injuries. The two were taken to a hospital in Berhampur and later shifted to a hospital in Cuttack.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Berhampur) Pravat Routray reiterated that the police suspect that personal enmity was the reason behind the attack, PTI reported. The assailants fled towards Andhra Pradesh after killing Jena, Routray added.
Jena came third in the elections, which was won by Manjula Swain of the Biju Janata Dal.
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