Keonjhar, July 17: In a gruesome incident, a man hacked his wife and daughter to death and inflicted grievous injury on his 10-year-old son at Anandapur town in Keonjhar district today.

The incident took place in ward No.9 in Fakirpur under Anandapur Municipality around 1.30pm, police said.

The accused, identified as Bisikesan Sethy, 35, was caught by the villagers and handed over to the police soon after the crime. Neighbours rushed to the spot after hearing scream for help and managed to overpower the accused. They tied the killer to a tree and informed the local police.

According to police reports, Bisikesan Sethy attacked his wife Bayani Sethy, 30, daughter Sakuntala Sethy, 5, and son Badal Sethy, 10, with a sharp weapon while the trio was sleeping in their house. While mother and daughter died on the spot, son sustained serious injuries.

Badal was rushed to the sub-divisional headquarter hospital at Anandpur. The condition of the boy was critical, said Subodha Mallik, inspector-in-charge of Anandapur police station. The incident has sent shock waves in the area.

Though police have started investigating the case, the motive of crime is yet to be ascertained.

The accused has been arrested and bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

Three arrested

The government railway police and Mancheswar police today arrested three mobile phone thieves and seized two mobile phones and Rs 2000 from them. The GRP arrested Kaladi Behera and Pramod Nayak while they were escaping after stealing the mobile phone of Rabi Narayan Sahoo.

The Mancheswar police arrested Bira Nayak and seized a mobile phone from him.

They were forwarded to the court.