Bhubaneswar, Jan. 8: A 45-year-old businessman was today allegedly hacked to death by unidentified persons in Puri, 60km away from here. Though the motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained, police suspect past enmity as the reason behind theincident.

The cops said that the deceased, identified as Chandan Behera, was on his way to his lodge, which is barely 20 metres away from the Sea Beach police station, when the incident took place.

"Behera was riding his Scooty with one of his friends. We suspect the unidentified persons were hiding somewhere in the garden of the lodge. When the two entered the garden, the assailants attacked Behera with sharp weapons. His friend was also attacked when he tried to resist. While Behera died on the spot, his friend was rushed to the nearest hospital," said a cop.

The cops said Behera suffered severe injuries on his neck, shoulders and hands. The police have found the gold chain of the deceased and seized two cell phones from the spot.

"We are trying to obtain footage from the CCTV camera installed in the lawn," said the police official. Sources said Behera, an advocate by profession, also owns hotels in Puri and Rourkela.

Accused held

Crime branch officials of Odisha police today arrested the prime accused, Khirod Das, for the murder of Singiri gram panchayat sarpanch Chitrasen Das from Calcutta.

Man kills mother

Jaleswar police arrested a 30-year-old man on the charge of killing his 55-year-old mother on Saturday night after she refused to give him money to buy liquor.

The accused, identified as Yudhistir Jena of Balikbad village in Balasore, allegedly strangulated his mother to death when she refused to give him the money. Local villagers nabbed him and handed him over to the police. He was produced before the court today.