Budhia coach murder;police detain two people

Bhubaneswar, Apr 14 (UNI) Police detained two perople in connection with yesterday's killing of Biranchi Das, former coach of marathon wonder kid Budhia Singh.

Three motorcycle-borne assailants, who arrived at the Judo Association office here last evening, asked Biranchi to come out from the office and when he came out, they pumped three bullets from point blank range.

The coach was rushed to the Capital Hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.

Commissioner of Police Binay Behera today said preliminary investigation revealed that it was a planned cold-blooded murder, committed by someone very close to the victim.

He refused to give details about the two detained in connection with the murder.

Mr Behera said a team consisting of senior police officers, including the ACP, DCP and himself, had been constituted to probe into the murder and nab the culprits.

He said the motive of the murder was not yet known and the police were working on a number of options like extortion, scrap deal and love affairs.

Mr Behera said though the investigation was at its early stage, still there was no doubt about the involvement of gangster Raja Acharya in the crime.

Biranchi's brother Susanta had alleged that his brother was shot dead by Raja Acharya after he turned down his request to mediate in bringing about a reconciliation with an actress on his behalf.

Raja Acharya had been forcing the actress to marry him after he met her at Baripada jail while she had gone in connection with the shooting of a documentary.

The actress had filed an FIR against Raja Acharya in the local police station recently alleging that he had threatened her with dire consequences and was apprehending threat to her life.

Another source said Biranchi was eliminated after he threatened to expose an illegal railway scrap deal at the Mancheswar Railway Yard.

Mr Behera said police were not treating it as a just murder case but inquiring the case with all seriousness to instill a sense of security among the common people and to find out the truth behind the killing.

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