Bhubaneswar, Oct. 24: A 57-year-old grocery shop owner was allegedly killed by a group of youths at Bharatpur in the Khandagiri police limits last night.

The incident, in which two other persons suffered grievous injuries, took place around 11pm when the deceased, Bhagaban Sahu, refused to give drinking water pouches and disposable glasses to two of the five accused.

Police said the two youths, who had demanded water pouches, were drunk. They blew their top when Sahu told them that he had already shut down his shop.

“Sahu had an heated argument with the two youths who went back. Later, they returned with eight more youths in an autorickshaw and attacked Sahu with bricks and wooden planks,” said a police official.

Once the youths started attacking Sahu, his family members ran to rescue him from their clutches. But they, too, were attacked by the youths. Sahu’s son Alok and relative Gopalkrushna Naik suffered injuries in the attack. Later, all three of them were rushed to a nearest private hospital, where Sahu succumbed to injuries.

The condition of both Alok and Gopalkrushna is said to be critical.

“They attacked my husband and father-in-law mercilessly. We tried to rescue them, but all our efforts were in vein,” alleged Alok’s wife.

The police said they were investigating the matter and had detained three youths in this connection.

“Efforts are on to nab the other accused,” said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

Local residents blamed the incident on poor night patrolling by the police, saying crimes such as burglary and snatching were on the rise in the area.

“Though Khandagiri police station has its jurisdiction over a vast area, night patrolling is not adequate. This makes it easy for criminals to strike,” said local resident Sarat Chandra Moharana.

Statistics available with the police revealed that as many as 454 cases were registered with Khandagiri police station in 2011, with the number increasing to 595 in 2012.

Similarly, the number of cases in 2013 stood at 653, while by end of September this year as many as 467 cases have been registered with the police station.