Two persons including a buyer at a jewellery shop were shot dead in a daring broad daylight crime in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Saturday afternoon, when motorcycle-borne criminals opened fire at them while fleeing from the shop after a failed robbery attempt, police said on Saturday.

One of the deceased identified as Nilamadhab Panda who was at the jewellery shop buying gold ornaments offered resistance at the gun-wielding criminals and died as they fired at him at point blank range.

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Two criminals had barged at the shop brandishing guns. However they beat a hasty retreat as Panda offered resistance and foiled the broad daylight loot attempt. In the process, he fell to one of the bullets fired by the criminals, police said.

Later the duo while fleeing was chased by agitated people and one of them was overpowered and intercepted by a mob and was badly beaten up by an assembly of angry people. Later the police rescued him and took him to custody.

The criminals had planned the crime well in advance after meticulously surveying the Panikoili area where the jewellery shop was located. It is being suspected that the criminals were six in number and were from outside the State.

A special squad has been constituted and CCTV footage in the entire area is being scanned. All the police stations in the States are alerted as we are intent on nabbing all those involved in the crime. The motorcycle used in the crime besides a revolver and live bullets were seized near the crime spot, said Jajpur Superintendent of Police of Jajpur, Yashpratap Shrimal.