Keonjhar: A 42-year-old Jan Seva Kendra operator, who was the husband of a woman constable, was allegedly shot dead by unidentified miscreants on the Kendeiposhi-Patana road under Turumunga police station limits in Keonjhar district late on Tuesday night.Trilochan Mahanta of Khajiraposhi village was allegedly ambushed and killed near Khundapada village around 10.30 pm while returning home on his motorcycle after closing his Jan Seva Kendra near Kendeiposhi Chowk. The attackers shot him and severely injured his hand and abdomen with a sharp-edged weapon before fleeing. He collapsed by the roadside and died, police said. In his last phone call, Mahanta told his wife, a constable posted at Patana police station, that he had been shot and asked her to come to the spot.After being informed, teams from Turumunga and Patana police stations, along with senior officers, reached the spot. His body was sent to Dharanidhar medical college and hospital in Keonjhar for postmortem. Police seized the motorcycle. The incident triggered tension, with residents gathering near the crime scene after the news spread.Police have launched a manhunt and are probing the case from multiple angles. Investigators are examining whether robbery was the motive and scrutinising CCTV footage from nearby areas. A scientific team visited the spot to collect evidence. “We have launched a search operation to nab the accused. The investigation is underway and the motive behind the crime is yet to be established. Further action will be taken after the post-mortem report is received,” the Champua SDPO said.
