Bhubaneswar man chases, kills another man with SUV after love triangle dispute
A love triangle allegedly led to the murder of a young man in Bhubaneswar, where six accused chased down Varun Kumar Rautaray in an SUV and deliberately rammed his motorcycle before running him over.
A young man was allegedly chased down and killed with an SUV in Bhubaneswar's Chandrasekharpur area following a dispute over a woman, prompting police to arrest six persons, including the prime accused, on charges of murder.
What initially appeared to be a tragic road accident has now been identified as a pre-planned murder allegedly triggered by a love triangle, police said on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Varun Kumar Rautaray. His friends, Alok Mallik and Balwant alias Godhi, sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Police registered a case based on a written complaint filed by Varun's relative, Ashok Rautaray. During the investigation, police found that the murder stemmed from a long-standing personal rivalry between Varun and the prime accused, Suraj Biswakarma, over a woman with whom both men were allegedly involved.
Addressing the media, Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said police initially received information at around 3 am that a four-wheeler had collided with a motorcycle, injuring three people.
"We received a call at the Control Room informing us that a four-wheeler had hit a motorcycle. A PCR van was immediately dispatched to the spot and the injured were shifted to hospital. However, during questioning, it became clear that this was not merely a road accident but a pre-planned conspiracy," the DCP said.
Investigators found that Suraj had been in a relationship with a woman for a considerable period. Over time, Varun allegedly developed a close relationship with the same woman, leading to repeated confrontations and growing hostility between the two.
The fatal sequence of events began late on the night of May 29 when Varun and his friends visited Mahima Juice Centre where Suraj worked. Police said an argument broke out between the two groups over the ongoing dispute. Although the matter appeared to have been settled initially, tensions flared up again shortly afterwards.
According to the investigation, Suraj's associates who were present at the shop sided with him during the altercation. After the argument ended, Varun and his friends left the area and started returning home on their motorcycle.
Police alleged that Suraj and five others then conspired to retaliate. They allegedly boarded a black Mahindra Thar SUV belonging to the owner of the shop and chased Varun and his friends.
About 800 metres from the shop, near Acharya Harihar College, the accused allegedly intercepted the motorcycle and deliberately rammed it with the SUV. Investigators further alleged that the vehicle was then driven over Varun, causing fatal injuries.
Varun died from his injuries, while Alok Mallik and Balwant alias Godhi survived with serious injuries.
Based on statements provided by the injured survivors, police quickly reconstructed the sequence of events. Officers detained all suspects within hours of the incident.
"The incident occurred around 3 am, and by 6 am all the accused had been taken into custody. Following the registration of the FIR at around 11 a.m., all six accused were formally arrested," DCP Meena said.
The arrested accused were identified as Bapuni alias Bramhananda Das, owner of the shop; Suraj Biswakarma, the prime accused and an employee at the shop; Chidananda alias Papu Das; Asish alias Pintu Dehury; Swastik alias Saroj Bhardwaj; and Sridhara Nayak.
During the investigation, police seized the black Mahindra Thar SUV bearing registration number OD-14-Z-2338, along with a two-wheeler allegedly used during the commission of the crime.
DCP Meena said investigators converted the case from a road accident probe into a murder investigation after establishing that the collision was intentional and part of a criminal conspiracy.
"As soon as we discovered that the incident was a conspiracy rather than a simple accident, we invoked Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to the offence of murder, against the accused," he said.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events, determine the role of each accused and gather additional evidence before filing the charge sheet.
A young man was allegedly chased down and killed with an SUV in Bhubaneswar's Chandrasekharpur area following a dispute over a woman, prompting police to arrest six persons, including the prime accused, on charges of murder.
What initially appeared to be a tragic road accident has now been identified as a pre-planned murder allegedly triggered by a love triangle, police said on Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Varun Kumar Rautaray. His friends, Alok Mallik and Balwant alias Godhi, sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment.
Police registered a case based on a written complaint filed by Varun's relative, Ashok Rautaray. During the investigation, police found that the murder stemmed from a long-standing personal rivalry between Varun and the prime accused, Suraj Biswakarma, over a woman with whom both men were allegedly involved.
Addressing the media, Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena said police initially received information at around 3 am that a four-wheeler had collided with a motorcycle, injuring three people.
"We received a call at the Control Room informing us that a four-wheeler had hit a motorcycle. A PCR van was immediately dispatched to the spot and the injured were shifted to hospital. However, during questioning, it became clear that this was not merely a road accident but a pre-planned conspiracy," the DCP said.
Investigators found that Suraj had been in a relationship with a woman for a considerable period. Over time, Varun allegedly developed a close relationship with the same woman, leading to repeated confrontations and growing hostility between the two.
The fatal sequence of events began late on the night of May 29 when Varun and his friends visited Mahima Juice Centre where Suraj worked. Police said an argument broke out between the two groups over the ongoing dispute. Although the matter appeared to have been settled initially, tensions flared up again shortly afterwards.
According to the investigation, Suraj's associates who were present at the shop sided with him during the altercation. After the argument ended, Varun and his friends left the area and started returning home on their motorcycle.
Police alleged that Suraj and five others then conspired to retaliate. They allegedly boarded a black Mahindra Thar SUV belonging to the owner of the shop and chased Varun and his friends.
About 800 metres from the shop, near Acharya Harihar College, the accused allegedly intercepted the motorcycle and deliberately rammed it with the SUV. Investigators further alleged that the vehicle was then driven over Varun, causing fatal injuries.
Varun died from his injuries, while Alok Mallik and Balwant alias Godhi survived with serious injuries.
Based on statements provided by the injured survivors, police quickly reconstructed the sequence of events. Officers detained all suspects within hours of the incident.
"The incident occurred around 3 am, and by 6 am all the accused had been taken into custody. Following the registration of the FIR at around 11 a.m., all six accused were formally arrested," DCP Meena said.
The arrested accused were identified as Bapuni alias Bramhananda Das, owner of the shop; Suraj Biswakarma, the prime accused and an employee at the shop; Chidananda alias Papu Das; Asish alias Pintu Dehury; Swastik alias Saroj Bhardwaj; and Sridhara Nayak.
During the investigation, police seized the black Mahindra Thar SUV bearing registration number OD-14-Z-2338, along with a two-wheeler allegedly used during the commission of the crime.
DCP Meena said investigators converted the case from a road accident probe into a murder investigation after establishing that the collision was intentional and part of a criminal conspiracy.
"As soon as we discovered that the incident was a conspiracy rather than a simple accident, we invoked Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to the offence of murder, against the accused," he said.
Police said further investigation is underway to establish the complete sequence of events, determine the role of each accused and gather additional evidence before filing the charge sheet.
