Refused Rs 60 for alcohol, man stabs rickshaw driver

A petty dispute over Rs 60 escalated into a brutal assault near Tank Road parking in the central district’s Prasad Nagar on Friday night, leaving a rickshaw driver seriously injured.

Around 9:30 pm, Nitesh, a rickshaw driver, stopped by a tea stall near Jheel Park run by Lab Kumar Pradhan (55).

According to the police, Pradhan demanded Rs 60 from Nitesh to buy alcohol. When the rickshaw driver refused, Pradhan allegedly stabbed him multiple times with a knife on his neck, abdomen and underarm.

Passersby informed the police about the incident. After getting information, a PCR van reached the spot and rushed the victim to RML Hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable.

The accused fled the spot after committing the crime. During investigation, the police identified the accused as Pradhan, who was residing in a rented accommodation in Shadi Khampur.

Originally from Baleshwar, Odisha, Pradhan had been running a tea stall near Jheel Park for years and had no criminal record.

The police conducted a raid at his house, but failed to find him. They got information that the accused returned to his tea stall to collect some belongings.

Acting on the information, the police rushed to Jheel Park and arrested him. During interrogation, Pradhan confessed to committing the crime, claiming he lost his temper after Nitesh refused to give money to buy liquor. On his disclosure, the police recovered the blood-stained clothes and the knife used in the crime.

A case under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against the accused.