Bhubaneswar, Dec 16 

The murder of a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader in Odisha's Titilagarh town has triggered protests with people Monday blocking roads and staging demonstrations in the area, police said.

Hundreds of residents, including the leader's supporters, blocked roads for hours, staged demonstrations in front of the local police station, and started a day's shutdown in the town, a senior police official told IANS.

Vehicles went off the roads, shops downed shutters, educational institution and business establishments in the town also remained closed, he said.

Abhimanyu Sahu, 43, the BJD youth wing state general secretary, was found dead with his throat slit at the roadside near his home town Titilagarh in the district of Bolangir, about 400 km from here.

The authorities have ordered a probe by Odisha Police Crime Branch, but the protestors are demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Sahu was a popular leader in the region. Anticipating trouble and to prevent any untoward incident, police forces have been deployed in strength in the town, the officer said.

No arrests have been made as yet, he added.