2 BJP leaders die as dumper crashes into their car in Odisha; foul play suspected

NEW DELHI: Two BJP leaders died when a dumper collided with their car in Odisha's Sambalpur district early Sunday, police said.
The deceased were identified as Debendra Nayak, BJP's Goshala mandal president, and Muralidhar Chhuria, a former sarpanch.
Both were close associates of senior BJP leader Nauri Naik.
The accident occurred around 1.30am on NH-53 in the Burla police station area as the group of six, including the driver, was returning to Kardola from Bhubaneswar.
While all six were rushed to a nearby hospital, Nayak and Chhuria were declared dead on arrival, and the others are undergoing treatment.
Suresh Chanda, one of the injured, alleged foul play, claiming the dumper struck their vehicle twice on the highway and then chased and hit it a third time when they turned onto a rural road near Kantapalli Square. "I believe it was intentional. By mistake, one can hit a vehicle once, but why hit it thrice?" he questioned.
Former Rengali MLA Nauri Naik also supported the allegation, asserting that the collision appeared deliberate.
Sambalpur SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo confirmed that the dumper has been seized and its driver detained. "Given the family's allegations, we will investigate the possibility of intentional foul play," he added.