Jagatsinghpur: Unidentified criminals shot a man dead and injured two of his family members after barging into his house at Sindhala village within Tirtol police limits here.

The incident occurred on Monday midnight. Police said the motive behind the crime was yet to be ascertained. However, it appears to be the handiwork of dacoits, and the fear of being caught red-handed might have provoked them to open fire, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Antaryami Khuntia. His brother and nephew suffered bullet wounds and were shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in critical condition. The murder has sparked off tension in the area with angry local residents flaying the fast-deteriorating law and order situation. They staged a demonstration on the busy Cuttack-Paradip state highway bringing the traffic to a standstill.

The highway blockade was withdrawn later with the police assuring the protesters of arresting the criminals in 48 hours.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the family, which was targeted by the criminals, had good terms with the people in the neighbourhood. They did not had any enmity with anyone in the locality, said Tirtol police station inspector Balram Nayak.

"Khuntia was a businessman. So, we are looking into possible business rivalry angle of the crime. The sniffer dogs pressed into service led us to a deserted area of the village where an empty foreign liquor bottle and two plastic glasses were found. Therefore, it seems the criminals were two in number."

"We are hopeful of nabbing the criminals shortly. A special squad has been formed for the purpose," Nayak said.

Jagatsinghpur district is witnessing a series of house robberies and burglaries.