Jharkhand YouTuber killed in Odisha, accused dies in getaway crash
A Jharkhand-based YouTuber was kidnapped and murdered allegedly during a robbery attempt in Odisha's Sundargarh district, while the prime accused died in a road accident
A Jharkhand-based YouTuber was kidnapped and murdered allegedly during a robbery attempt in Odisha's Sundargarh district, while the prime accused died in a road accident as he was fleeing with the victim's car and belongings, police said on Tuesday. The victim, identified as Shivdhan Lohar, a resident of Ranchi in Jharkhand, had travelled to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sundargarh along with his friend to admit a relative for treatment. Read Full Story According to police, Lohar and his friend Anmol Mallick were returning to Ranchi in separate vehicles late on Monday night when three miscreants attempted to intercept Mallick's Scorpio SUV. He managed to escape by speeding away, but the accused stopped Lohar's Alto car and kidnapped him.
The assailants then drove Lohar nearly 80 kilometres to Duduka, where they attempted to rob him. During an altercation, the accused attacked the YouTuber with a sharp weapon, killing him before dumping his body near a railway overbridge, police said. After the murder, the accused fled with Lohar's car, mobile phone and wallet through the coal corridor, but the vehicle lost control and veered off the road. The crash proved fatal for the main accused, identified as Subhendu, who died on the spot. Another accused sustained critical injuries in the accident and is undergoing treatment at the hospital in Sundargarh. Meanwhile, a juvenile allegedly involved in the crime has been detained, police said.
Senior officers, including Sundargarh Superintendent of Police Amritpal Kaur, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer and a scientific investigation team, visited the crime scene and launched a detailed probe. Addressing reporters, SP Kaur said preliminary findings indicate that robbery was the motive behind the crime. "The motive behind the murder, as revealed by the preliminary investigation, appears to be robbery, an attempt to loot the car. During an altercation, they murdered Shivdhan Lohar," she said. The SP said Mallick was travelling ahead in a Scorpio while Lohar was following in an Alto after the two left the Sundargarh hospital. When the accused attempted to loot the vehicles, Mallick managed to escape, but Lohar was stopped and attacked during the robbery attempt.
"They killed Shivdhan Lohar, dumped his body, and fled in the stolen vehicle. On the way, they met with an accident in which one of the accused died," Kaur added. Police said preliminary verification suggests that Subhendu, the key accused who has been killed, had previously been booked in a murder case. Investigators are continuing efforts to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the precise role of each accused in the crime. Ends
