Purusottampur: In a shocking incident, a man was brutally beaten to death by villagers at Chingudighai under Purusottampur police limits in Ganjam district, late Wednesday night.
The deceased was identified as Bahuda Sahu, a native of Baduragad village under Gadishagada police limits in Puri district.
On being informed, Purusottamput IIC Priyas Ranjan Chhotray accompanied by police officials reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem. A case was registered in this connection and a scientific team and sniffer dogs were pressed into service.
Police contacted his family members who informed them that the deceased left home three days back informing them that he was going to meet one of his friends.
As per information received from the police, a villager Kishore Nayak woke up to some sound in his backyard, at about 3 am Wednesday night. He opened the door and found an unknown person standing outside.
Suspecting him as a thief he raised an alarm when the unknown person hurled a piece of brick and a tin sheet at Nayak in which the latter got injured. After he screamed for help, some co-villagers woke up from their sleep and rushed towards his house.
The man ran to save himself but the villagers overpowered him. Later, they tied him to a utility pole where they beat him up black and blue leaving him critically injured and writhing in pain.
They then dumped the man under a tree inside the village primary school premises where he reportedly succumbed to his injuries.
Further investigations into the matter are on.