Brahmapur: A man allegedly cut off his tongue with a knife outside a temple in Odisha’s Ganjam district Sunday morning, police said.
The incident took place outside a Kali temple at Hansatuli village within Beguniapada police station limits.
The victim, identified as Kiran Patra (36) and a father of two children, works as a labourer abroad and returned to the village recently, they said.
Local people who visited the temple early this morning found him lying in a pool of blood near the shrine’s gate in a critical condition and informed his family and police.
Though the exact reason is unknown, police suspect he might have taken the step due to a family dispute.
He was initially taken to Khallikote community health centre and then shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, a police officer said.
According to Beguniapada police station inspector-in-charge Bhagaban Pujari, Patra’s condition was stated to be stable.
Locals said the couple quarrelled the previous night and Patra’s drastic move could be connected to it, police said.
Police did not register any case in this connection.