INDIA: 5 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF FORMER ODISHA BLOCK CHAIRMAN

March 26, 2024:

In a landmark verdict, a court in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on March 3, 2024 sentenced five individuals to death for the murder of former Anandpur block chairman Ram Chandra Behera. The brutal crime occurred five years ago on March 25, 2019.
The convicts, identified as Sanjay Prusti, Ajit Prusti, Arun Prusti, Alekha Prusti, and Dola Boitei, were found guilty by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge at Anandpur. The verdict comes after a thorough examination of evidence collected during the investigation and testimonies from 53 witnesses.
According to reports, Behera was hacked to death with sharp weapons near his residence in Dhakotha village, located within the Ghasipura Assembly segment. The former block chairman, who had previously contested the 2004 Assembly elections from Ghasipura, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The police, following the incident, arrested five individuals linked to the murder. Investigators asserted that the motive behind Behera’s murder stemmed from prior enmity.