Odisha man shot dead by cousin over property dispute

The victim, identified as a laboratory assistant at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, was shot while he was on his way to office on Monday morning

Published on: Oct 13, 2025, 15:46:20 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A 27-year-old man working as a laboratory assistant at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar was shot dead by his cousin over an ancestral property dispute while he was on his way to office on Monday morning.

The victim was shot in the lower left chest, causing him to lose control of his motorcycle and crash to the ground. (Representational image)

Police said the victim, Sudhanshu Khuntia, was shot dead by his cousin Siba Khuntia while he was on his way to AIIMS Bhubaneswar from his home in Sarakantara village under Khandagiri Police Station in Bhubaneswar at around 9.05 am.

He was shot in the lower left chest, causing him to lose control of his motorcycle and crash to the ground. He was rushed to AIIMS in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries.

Bhubaneswar police commissioner S Devdutt Singh said three persons have been arrested in the case.Following the incident, a clash broke out between two groups allegedly connected to the land dispute.

Khandagiri police have, meanwhile, launched an investigation, examining CCTV footage from nearby roads to identify all the culprits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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