Sambalpur: Panic gripped Burla’s busy Kirba Square on Saturday after a meat trader was shot dead in broad daylight, allegedly by his former employee and tenant. Police later detained the prime suspect, Raja Swami, from Jharsuguda and recovered the firearm allegedly used in the crime.The deceased, Mohammad Anish, was running a meat shop at Kirba Square, a busy commercial area near Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) and its hostels. The shooting took place around 11 am when Anish was at his shop. Witnesses said multiple gunshots were heard before Anish collapsed. He was rushed to VIMSAR, Burla, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.Additional SP Ajay Kumar Mishra said preliminary investigation suggests the accused fired several rounds from an illegal 7.62 mm country-made pistol. Police said Anish sustained three bullet injuries.Investigators recovered several empty cartridges and a live round from the spot. A scientific team examined the crime scene and marked bullet and cartridge locations at multiple points.Police subsequently detained Raja Swami and seized the weapon allegedly used in the murder. Investigators are trying to ascertain where the firearm was procured and whether it was brought from Jharsuguda or obtained locally.According to police, Swami had been staying as a tenant in Anish’s house in the Kirba area for the last four months. He had come to Burla from Mangalbazar in Jharsuguda district in search of work and had worked at Anish’s meat shop for some time.The motive behind the murder is yet to be established. However, investigators are examining both a financial dispute and a possible personal angle.Family members alleged that Swami had borrowed Rs 50,000 from Anish and tensions had been brewing after the latter demanded repayment. Anish’s father and sister claimed the dispute over money could have triggered the killing.Police are also probing allegations that Anish and the accused had differences over a personal matter involving Swami’s wife. Anish’s elder sister, Nasreen Begum, said he had returned from Uttar Pradesh with his wife and children on the day of the incident and had gone to the market around 6 am to attend to customers. “While my brother was selling meat, Raja suddenly arrived and shot him,” she alleged, demanding strict punishment for the accused.Anish is survived by his wife and three young children. The brazen killing in the heart of Burla, a major educational hub, has left residents shaken.