Sambalpur police arrested six men for the brutal murder of notorious criminal Kalu Bahadur (30), who was killed in a revenge attack linked to the 2019 murder of Banti Behera.
The accused—Saini Behera (33), Pratap Behera (24), Jaynarayan Mishra (24), Raj Barik (22), Sridhar Prasad (25), and Sameer Behera (21)—fled the state after the crime. However, a special police team tracked them down and apprehended them outside Odisha. Additional SP Ajay Kumar Mishra confirmed that all six will be produced in court tomorrow.
Kalu Bahadur, a resident of Gandhinagar Pada in Hirakud, had over 20 criminal cases against him, including charges of murder, robbery, extortion, and attempted homicide. He was out on bail after being arrested for Banti Behera’s murder in Substation Pada.
On November 5, Kalu rode a bike with associate Satyaranjan Dhal from Store Chhak to Durgamandir Chhak. As they passed between Pathar Line and Substation Pada, the attackers ambushed them. One assailant hurled a brick at Kalu’s head, causing both men to fall. The others rushed in, striking Kalu with sharp weapons and repeatedly hitting his head with bricks. Satyaranjan tried to intervene but suffered serious injuries.
Kalu died on the spot due to excessive bleeding. Satyaranjan remains under treatment at VIMSAR.
Investigators revealed that the attackers had been monitoring Kalu’s movements and waited for the right moment to strike. The murder was a calculated act of retaliation, reigniting tensions between the two rival groups.
