Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were killed in a tragic accident in Odisha's Sambalpur district early on Sunday morning when a dumper collided with their car. The deceased have been identified as Debendra Nayak, the BJP's Goshala mandal president, and Muralidhar Chhuria, a former village head (sarpanch). Both victims were reportedly close associates of senior BJP leader Nauri Naik.
The incident occurred around 1:30 AM on National Highway 53 in the Burla police station area. The two victims, along with four others, were traveling in a car, returning to their home in Kardola after a trip to Bhubaneswar. The vehicle was hit by a dumper from behind, which eventually led to a fatal collision.
According to police reports, all six people in the car were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared Nayak and Chhuria dead. The other four individuals sustained injuries and are currently undergoing medical treatment.
One of the injured, Suresh Chanda, shared his account of the incident, claiming that the dumper hit their car from behind twice before they decided to divert onto a rural road near Kantapalli Square in an attempt to avoid further danger. However, he alleged that the dumper continued to chase them and struck the vehicle again, causing it to overturn.
Chanda expressed suspicions that the incident was not an accident, suggesting that the collision appeared intentional. “It is highly unusual for a vehicle to hit another three times from behind. Such a thing cannot happen by mistake," he said.
Naik, a former MLA of Rengali, who visited the injured at the hospital, also raised concerns that the crash might have been a deliberate attack. He echoed Chanda's sentiments, claiming that the vehicle had been intentionally rammed multiple times.
In response, Sambalpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo confirmed that the dumper had been seized and its driver detained for questioning. "We are investigating all aspects of the incident, including the possibility that this was a targeted attack, as alleged by the victims' families," Bhamoo stated.
The police investigation into the incident continues, and authorities are exploring all angles to determine whether the collision was an accident or a premeditated attack.
