The incident was triggered by the body of a youth being found near the liquor store (Representational)
A mob, comprising mostly women, today ransacked and set a country liquor shop afire in Choudwar near Cuttack after residents of the locality felt that all their misfortune was somehow linked to it, police said.
The mob apparently went berserk after locating the body of a youth of their locality lying in a pool of blood near a canal, about 5 km away from the liquor shop, they said.
Ashok Naik (30) and his acquaintance from the colony had gone to the liquor shop yesterday evening. When Ashok did not return home, the family members searched for him through the night. However, Ashoks body was found lying near the Dhumabati canal.
Believing that the liquor shop in the locality has brought misfortune to them and death of the youth was somehow linked to it, the residents of the colony set it afire after ransacking it, police said.
A murder case has been registered and investigation is on to identify the murderer, they said.
In another incident, Mangalabag police of Cuttack city retrieved the body of another youth lying in a pool of blood near the Tuberculosis ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital today.
Police had earlier suspected it to be a murder case seeing a liquor bottle and some belongings strewn near the body. However, after autopsy, it was revealed that the youth had committed suicide. Police is investigating the case.