Balasore, July 13: A 28-year-old man axed to death three members of his family including his father, mother and aunt at Batapalasa village within the limits of Karanjia police station in Mayurbhanj district last night.

The accused, Kunu Behera, who hails from Kumabhar Sahi area of the village, has been arrested. He is being interrogated by the police. The deceased have been identified as Srikanta Behera, 48, Nirasha Behera, 45, and Mukumani Behera 52.

A case has been registered against the accused under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code on the compliant of Budhia Behera, a cousin of the accused, who was a witness to the incident.

Police said a family dispute was the reason behind the murder. The accused and his father had gone to the local weekly market to sell earthen pottery in the daytime.

Both, however, returned from the market in an inebriated state and began quarrelling over a trivial family matters.

The accused flew into a rage and began hitting his father, mother and aunt with an axe. All of them bled to death before neighbours could come to their rescue.

The police arrested the accused last night and sealed the house. In the morning, they made further investigations with the help of forensic team. The weapon of offence has been seized.

Sub-divisional police officer Karanjia Srikrishna Behera said: “The accused has been put under sustained interrogation and he has confessed to the crime. It was a family feud which led to the incident.”

Deputy superintendent of police S.R. Mahapatra said: “The accused was in a drunken state and he committed the crime following a quarrel with his family members. The bodies have been sent to the hospital for autopsy.”

Such incidents are not uncommon in the Mayurbhanj district. In April this year, Ratan Munda, a tribal from Bhagabandi village within the limits of Jasipur police station, had hacked two persons, including his minor son, to death. He had also inflicted injuries on four other persons.