Police today claimed to have cracked a five-year old murder case at Bhanjanagara in Ganjam district with arrest of four persons.
Police said Rabindra Kumar Parichha (48) was stabbed to death by hired killers due to non-payment of rent to an ex-serviceman who is the key accused in the case.
The murder had taken place on December 15, 2011, while police recovered the body of Parichha from the gallery of Kabi Samarat Upendra Bhanjan Stadium, Bhanjanagara, the next day.
The accused persons included Pratap Gouda, the ex-serviceman who is presently working as a bus conductor in Bhubaneswar, Chitra Nayak, Charan Sethi of Dhudua and Manoj Gouda of Baunsalundi, said inspector in charge, Bhanjanagara police station, AK Sahu.
Gouda had allegedly paid Rs 50,000 to the three hired men to eliminate Parichha.
Gouda fled from the village after the murder and spent two years each in Kolkata and New Delhi. He then returned to Odisha and started working as a bus conductor since one year, Sahu said.
Police suspected Gouda as he was seen be people with Parichha before his murder. Acting in a tip off a police team picked him up from Salia Sahi slums in Bhubaneswar.
During the interrogation he has confessed to the crime, the IIC said adding that he revealed name of three others who were then arrested.
