Balasore: A 45-year-old businessman was shot dead in broad daylight near Sahadevkhunta police station in Balasore town on Thursday.The deceased has been identified as Seikh Hamid, a local resident and the owner of a car accessories shop near Remuna Golai in the district.According to reports, the incident took place around 3.30 pm at Arad Bazaar, barely 600 metres from Sahadevkhunta police station. Hamid was travelling along Arad Bazaar road on his way to visit a relative, when two unidentified assailants approached him on amotorcycle and opened fire at close range.Eyewitnesses said multiple rounds were fired, leaving Hamid critically injured. Local residents immediately rushed him to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.Preliminary investigation suggested business rivalry or dispute related to land dealings to be the probable motive behind the murder. However, police have not yet confirmed the exact reason for the attack.Balasore superintendent of police Pratyush Diwakar said based on the investigation conducted so far, two individuals arrived on a motorcycle and used two firearms to carry out the attack.“Our scientific team has recovered eight empty cartridges from the crime scene, and evidence collection is still underway,” the SP said.“At present, the motive and involvement of specific persons are not yet clear. However, four teams have been formed across different police stations, along with special squads, to crack the case at the earliest. We have already obtained some clues regarding the escape routes used by the assailants. Scientific evidence collection and CCTV footage analysis are inprogress, and only after further analysis can we draw firm conclusions,” he added. Immediately after being alerted about the incident, police launched intensive checking operations across Balasore district. Similar checks are being conducted in the neighbouring districts of Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak, as well as along the Odisha-West Bengal border.“We are focusing on identifying motorcycle-borne suspects matching the description received during the investigation. Comprehensive checking operations have already begun,” Diwakar said.Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the district headquarters hospital after Hamid’s body was brought there. Family members and local residents demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits and swift justice. Additional police personnel were deployed at the hospital and other sensitive locations to maintain law and order.Police have launched a manhunt for the attackers and are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas as part of the ongoing investigation.
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