Hinjilicut: A man hacked a 65-year-old woman and her four-year-old granddaughter to death over a petty issue at Badiambhagaon village in Ganjam district Sunday.
The deceased were Kama Sethy and her granddaughter Sriya Sethy, neighbours of the accused Ranjan Sethy. Police registered a case of double murder and arrested Ranjan. He was produced in court and later remanded to judicial custody after the court rejected his bail pleas. Police also seized a blood stained edged weapon from him.
According to police, Ranjan and Mitu Sethy, both residents of Badiambhagaon were neighbours and distant relatives. However, there was a rift between the two families over unknown reasons.
An altercation broke out between Ranjan and Mitu’s mother Kama over some issue while Mitu was away for work to another village Sunday. Things took an ugly turn after Ranjan got infuriated and began abusing the elderly woman.
In a fit of rage, he took a weapon and attacked Kama. He did not spare even Mitu’s four-year-old daughter Shriya who was also in the house along with her grandmother. He hacked both the woman and the girl, left the two profusely bleeding inside the house and fled.
On hearing the screams, locals rushed to the spot, overpowered Ranjan and took the two injured to the Hinjilicut government hospital. After preliminary treatment they were shifted to thed Berhampur-based MKCG Medical College and Hospital where they died.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem after which they were handed over to their family. The incident spread terror in the village and locals demanded stringent action against Ranjan. PNN