BHUBANESWAR: Puri Police on Monday detained five persons in connection with the triple murder near Patnaikia on Sunday.
Puri SP Uma Shankar Dash said five persons have been detained in connection with the murder of three persons and search is on to nab at least five others suspected to be involved in the crime.
In a fallout of enmity between two families, three members of a family were hacked to death by their rivals at a busy market place under Satyabadi police limits.
The deceased are brothers Purnachandra Behera alias Punia, Krushna Behera and their relative Panchua Behera.
Members of the two groups are part of an extended family and are at loggerheads over a property dispute, police said.
According to initial investigation, Purnachandra and Panchua were going towards their roadside food stall in Patnaikia when an argument erupted between them and the accused.
The accused also have shops in Patnaikia and police suspect that they had pre-planned the murders. “They attacked Purnachandra and Panchua with sharp weapons.
One of the locals informed Purnachandra’s brother, Krushna about the attack, following which he rushed to the spot. The miscreants also waylaid Krushna and attacked him with sharp weapons while he was sitting on his motorcycle,” Satyabadi IIC Tapan Rout said.
Police said when Krushna reached the spot, Purnachandra and Panchua had succumbed. Later, a relative of the deceased, Prashant Behera, lodged a complaint with police.
“A murder case has been registered and search operation launched to nab at least five other persons involved in the crime,” Rout said.