Patna, July 27: A 60-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death while sleeping outside his house in Bihar’s Samastipur district, police said on Monday. The incident occurred in Akauna village under the Halai police station limits.
The deceased has been identified as Raghuvir Sahani.
His body was discovered on the verandah of his house early on Monday morning, with multiple injuries. Police recovered a blood-stained axe from the scene and have sent the body for a post-mortem examination.
According to investigators, preliminary findings indicate that the axe recovered from the spot belonged to the victim. Police are collecting forensic evidence and questioning family members, relatives and local residents to determine the circumstances leading to the killing.
Family members said Raghuvir had been sleeping outside the house for the past few nights after their cow gave birth to a calf. They said he wanted to keep watch over the animal during the night.
His wife told police that she was sleeping inside the house when the incident occurred. She said she found her husband lying in a pool of blood when she came outside the following morning. The family also stated that the victim had no known disputes with anyone in the village.
Police officials said the use of the victim’s own axe in the attack suggests that the assailant may have been familiar with him.
However, they added that the motive behind the crime has not yet been established and no conclusions have been drawn regarding those responsible.
An FIR has been registered against unidentified persons, and the investigation is continuing. Police said all possible angles are being examined and expressed confidence that the case would be solved after further investigation.
