Berhampur: A 47-year-old farmer died of electrocution after he came in contact with a live wire lying on the ground near Mathajhari village in Buguda police limits of Ganjam district on Saturday morning.

"Somebody had laid the electric wire on the ground and connected it to the 11KV line with hook, perhaps with an intention to kill wild animals. The deceased, Gadadhar Gouda, who was passing by, came in contact with the wire and died on the spot," said Buguda police station inspector-in-charge Ram Chandra Biswal.

The police seized about 200-metre-long electrical wire from the spot and registered a case after Gouda's son, Santosh, and assistant engineer of the Southern Electricity Supply Company (Southco), Buguda division, Gopal Pradhan lodged two separate complaints.

Tension erupted in the area after the villagers had resorted to rasta roko at Mathajhari on the Buguda-Bhubaneswar state highway for one hour from 7am to 8am. They lifted the roadblock after the police officers assured them of arresting the culprits.

Gouda's family members have been assured of a financial help of Rs 10,000 from the Redcross Fund.

However, Buguda forest range officer Prasant Kumar Sahu said there was no standing crop in that particular area.

"We are still puzzled as to who laid the electric wire and what was the purpose. Last year, we had arrested 12 persons in the forest range for laying electric wire trap. But hooking in this area has been reported for the first time," Sahu said.

Mathajhari village is situated near Karchuli forest, which houses wild animals such as elephants, bears, wild boars and blackbucks.

Youth held

Police have arrested a 23-year-old man for killing his 65-year-old father following a quarrel over domestic issues.

Podasita villager Babuli Mohanta was remanded to jail custody after a local court rejected his bail petition.

The police said that after learning the involvement of the accused, the case, which was earlier registered as an unnatural death case, was converted into murder.

Babuli's father Banamali Mohanta had altercations with him over domestic issues on Thursday evening.

Following this altercation, the accused hit the victim with a heavy wooden stick, resulting in Banamali's death on the spot.

Additional reporting by Sibdas Kundu in Baripada