Koraput: Tension continued to prevail in the district headquarters town of Rayagada on Monday, two days after the murder of 19-year-old Hadipa Nikhil, with no arrest in the case.Nikhil was allegedly chased and shot by armed criminals at Indira Nagar Third Lane in Rayagada town on Saturday night when he was reportedly out for a puja celebration in Budurabalasa Sahi. Police suspect that after being shot in the chest and waist, he was abducted in a critical condition, murdered and his body dumped near the banks of Nagavali river before being recovered on Sunday.The district headquarters town remained on the edge following a massive funeral procession taken out by Nikhil’s family members and local residents after police handed over the body on Monday following post-mortem.During the procession, Nikhil’s motorcycle was set ablaze on National Highway-326 near the bus stand. While family members claimed they burnt the bike as they did not want to preserve it as a memory of the deceased, police maintained that the motorcycle accidentally caught fire after some youths rode it with the silencer removed to create loud noise during the rally. Fire service personnel later doused the flames.The atmosphere in the town remained tense as family of the deceased accused police of failing to act despite allegedly receiving prior information about Nikhil’s abduction. Family members alleged that timely police intervention could have prevented the murder.Nikhil’s father, Hadipa Shiva, claimed that around 14 people were involved in the conspiracy behind the killing. Family members and residents warned of intensified protests if the accused were not arrested soon.Police, however, denied allegations of negligence and said efforts are on to nab the culprits, who are currently absconding.Rayagada superintendent of police Swathy S Kumar said four special teams have been formed to investigate the case and trace the accused.In view of the prevailing tension, adequate police force has been deployed across the town and nearby areas, the SP said.Police officers and personnel have been stationed at major junctions across the town, while additional forces from neighbouring police stations have also been deployed to maintain law and order in the district headquarters town.
