Bhubaneswar, Jul 14: A man riding a motorcycle was killed after a Mercedes car allegedly rammed into his bike and dragged him for nearly 100 metres at Shastri Nagar Square in Bhubaneswar late Monday night, triggering massive protests and a tense standoff with police.

The deceased was identified as Debi Prasad Routaray, a resident of Nuasahi in Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar.

Police detained a young man and a young woman who were travelling in the Mercedes for questioning. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway, a source informed.

Tension Erupts at Accident Site
According to the source, the fatal accident sparked outrage among locals, who vandalised the Mercedes and refused to allow it to be moved from the spot.

Police faced stiff resistance for more than two hours as the situation remained volatile. The Additional DCP, ACPs of two police zones and inspectors-in-charge of four police stations rushed to the scene to pacify the crowd.

Despite repeated appeals, tensions escalated, with some protesters allegedly pelting stones at police personnel. A large police force was deployed to prevent the situation from spiralling further.

The damaged Mercedes was eventually towed to the police station under heavy security, the source added.

Family Demands Justice
Police seized the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. The autopsy is scheduled to be conducted on Tuesday.

Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's family, Kharvel Nagar Police registered a case and launched an investigation.

A relative of the deceased alleged that the occupants of the Mercedes showed no remorse after the crash.

"When I reached the spot, I saw the two-wheeler was completely damaged. The couple did not even have an iota of shame and repentance for what they had done. They have killed a person, but they were behaving erratically inside the police station. We want justice for the deceased. He was the only son of his parents and was the sole breadwinner," the relative said.

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'Occupants Were Drunk'
Another local Bishnu Sahu claimed the impact of the collision was severe, pointing to the deployment of the car's airbags.

"The airbags of the Mercedes E 220 D have deployed. You can imagine how dangerous the collision must have been. The Mercedes dragged the bike for at least 100 metres, and the victim died on the spot. Both the boy and the girl inside the car were drunk," Sahu alleged.

Police have not officially confirmed whether the occupants of the car were under the influence of alcohol. The allegation is expected to be examined as part of the ongoing investigation.