Kendrapara: An auto-rickshaw driver was allegedly hacked to death by unidentified persons in Pattamundai police limits in the district on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Rashmi Ranjan Das, 28, a native of Damarpur village. Local people spotted his profusely bleeding body lying in an orchard at Balabhadrapur village early on Monday morning. Police later recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem.

The auto-rickshaw, which he used to drive, was lying about 100 feet away from the spot of the crime. "There were cut marks on the body as well. It seems that he was murdered by several persons," said sub-divisional police officer Uma Shankar Moharana.