Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5: A 26-year-old constable, who is also a national-level power lifter, suffered severe injuries after goons attacked him with sharp weapons at Soubhagya Nagar in Khandagiri police limits this afternoon.

The motive behind the attack is not known as yet.

Eyewitnesses said the victim, Sakti Ranjan Barik, was standing outside a gymnasium when the criminals attacked him with sharp-edged weapons.

"He was bleeding profusely and crying for help. We called a police control room van and rushed him to the hospital," said an eyewitness. The incident took place at 2.30pm.

Police said nine goons, all in their 20s, rode to the gymnasium on three motorcycles and enquired about a person called Bapi.

"They first damaged a CCTV installed at the entrance to the three-storey building that houses the gym and enquired about Bapi. Later, they entered the first floor of the building and ransacked a polyclinic," said a police official.

Barik was, in the meantime, making his way down the building. "After attending Ganesh puja at the gymnasium, I came down and was about to start my motorcycle when the men asked me about Bapi. I told them that I did not know anybody by that name. They suddenly started attacking me with sharp weapons. I do not know any of them and have no rivalry with anyone," said Barik. He has suffered injuries to his head and hands. Barik was later taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The cops suspect that the goons had a dispute with the owner of the gym. "We have collected the footage of a closed-circuit camera installed at the building and are trying to identify the attackers. Prima-facie it seems that the constable was attacked accidentally," said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

Barik had won four medals at the national bench press championship held at Jamshedpur in 2013. He is, at present, posted with the reserve police in Bhubaneswar.