Berhampur, Dec. 29: Criminals today murdered a 53-year-old man when he had gone for a morning walk at Randha in Golanthara, 10km from here.

His family members alleged that the victim, Gandesh Chandra Panda, who runs a wine shop, had sought information under the Rights to Information Act on various projects in the area, and in the process, invited the wrath of some contractors. The family members also claimed that because of the deceased's intervention, the civil works that had been detected with irregularities stopped.

Police said Panda seemed to have been attacked by a group of people with a sword, an axe and a lathi. He suffered multiple injuries and died on the spot.

'We have registered a case. Sniffer dogs have led us to recover one sword, one axe and one lathi from a pond near the scene of crime. The scientific team, too, visited the spot,' said Golanthara inspector in-charge A.K. Jena. Investigation revealed that more than five persons were involved in the incident.

The victim's brother, Rabindra Kumar Panda, lodged the FIR. He said Panda had sought data on many projects in the panchayat, including revamp of the village road and a pond, through the act.

There were irregularities detected in these works, and the authorities had stopped some of them.

They alleged that three contractors had masterminded the murder. They had also tried to cancel the licence of Panda's wine shop and threatened the deceased's daughter over telephone.