Berhampur: An auto-rickshaw driver was allegedly hacked to death with an axe by a man near a court in Ganjam district Thursday over suspicion of an extramarital affair, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Ashok Kumar Swain (47) of Buduli village within Bhanjanagar police station limits.
The accused, Dillip Kumar Jena (45), has been detained, they said.
Suspecting Swain was having an affair with his wife, Jena hacked him with an axe, police said after preliminary inquiry.
Swain sustained multiple injuries and was first taken to the sub-divisional hospital in Bhanjanagar before being referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital, police said.
The incident took place in front of the additional district judge court at Bhanjanagar.
Police detained the accused while trying to flee from the spot, an official said.
Bhanjanagar police station inspector-in-charge Jeebananand Jena said Swain had come to the court to appear in connection with a case registered against him about two years ago following a complaint filed by the accused.
The complaint alleged that Swain had misbehaved with Jena’s wife in his absence and taken money from him.
Swain had been arrested in the case and spent about six months in jail before being released on bail.
“He was coming to appear in the court in the case, when the accused person attacked him with an axe outside the premises of the court,” the police officer said.
Police said they have registered a murder case and launched an investigation to find out the exact cause of the incident.
