Bhubaneswar police have arrested an Army Jawan and his two nephews for the murder of YouTuber Rahul Ranjan Maharana in the Mancheswar Police station area, officials said on Sunday.
The accused were identified as Samarendra Behera (20) alias Muna, Sangram Behera (24) alias Kuna, and Sangram Kesari Behera (37) alias Satura. All hail from the Kanpur area of Cuttack district and were residing in GGP Colony, Bhubaneswar.
Police officials stated that the incident occurred on Saturday around 9:30 p.m. on a high school field in GGP Colony. According to ACP Zone V Biswaranjan Senapati, a heated argument broke out when Shiba, a friend of the victim, came near the accused while speaking on the phone and used slang that the Jawan found offensive.
The confrontation escalated quickly. The Jawan and his nephews began assaulting Shiba, and when Rahul Ranjan Maharana intervened to help his friend, he was stabbed by one of the nephews, sustaining fatal injuries. He later succumbed to the attack.
ACP Senapati noted that the incident occurred due to sudden provocation and there was no prior enmity between the accused and the victim.
Police seized two motorcycles, three mobile phones, and one knife used in the crime. The authorities traced the accused to their rental accommodation using vehicle registration numbers obtained from witnesses, and all three were arrested within hours of the incident.
Investigations are ongoing to ensure no further suspects are involved and to gather more evidence regarding the fatal attack.
