Bhubaneswar, Mar 16 : The Holi festival in Odisha took a violent turn in four places, resulting in the murder of five people, either due to past enmity or altercations, police said.
Two of the five murders were reported in the state capital, Bhubaneswar—one from the Saheed Nagar area and the other from the Mancheswar area of the city. In both cases, two youths were allegedly stabbed to death.
One of the victims, identified as Gopi Guli, was stabbed to death at the Shantipally slum in Saheed Nagar by four others following a heated argument. In another case, a youth identified as Anhuman Pati was murdered in the Sameigadia area under the Mancheswar police station limits.
Commissioner of Police S. Devdutt Singh visited both crime scenes to investigate the incidents and assured that the accused would soon be arrested.
Holi-related violence was also reported from other places in the state.
Police said a youth, identified as Aditya Salma from Sambalpur’s Sahu Colony, was allegedly stabbed to death by one Sahul Singh over a past enmity.
Two more murders, one each from Berhampur and Angul, were also reported during the Holi celebrations.
Further details are awaited, and a police investigation is underway.
Five murdered as Holi Revelry turns violent in Odisha
