Puri, Jun 24: Tension gripped Puri in Odisha just days before the world‑famous Snana Yatra festival after a hotel owner was brutally murdered on Wednesday following a dispute over room service. Police said the key accused, a hotel employee, was arrested after being injured in an encounter, while his brother and other associates remain absconding.

According to preliminary reports, the victim, 32‑year‑old Pavitra Nayak alias Pavana, had taken Manorama Hotel on lease at Baliapanda and later handed it over to OYO for operations. On Tuesday night, a guest complaint over lack of room service led to a heated argument between Nayak and hotel manager Chandan Pallar. Chandan allegedly called his brother Chinmay and others, who pinned down Nayak before Chandan attacked him with a knife, inflicting fatal injuries.

Police said Nayak had alerted them during the scuffle. Responding swiftly, a team chased Chandan near Shankar Pur Mouza’s Mata Math. When Chandan allegedly attacked the officers, he was shot in an encounter and later shifted to Cuttack SCB Medical College for treatment.

Meanwhile, Chinmay and other associates remain at large, prompting a wider manhunt led by the Crime Branch DSP. Investigators are examining CCTV footage, mobile call records, and other evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events.
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The incident triggered chaos at Puri District Headquarters Hospital here in Odisha, where Nayak’s grieving family demanded Chinmay’s immediate arrest and confronted police officials. Relatives alleged multiple calls were made to Nayak’s phone during the attack, pointing to possible collusion.

Police have registered a murder case and assured that all accused will be brought to justice. The killing, coming just 96 hours before the Snana Yatra, has raised concerns over law and order in the temple town.