CUTTACK: Police on Tuesday arrested a 44-year-old chicken centre worker for allegedly attacking a youth with a cleaver following a quarrel over a petty issue, near Mani Mandir in Khannagar locality under Madhupatna police limits late on Monday night.
The accused Pratap Kumar Bhoi of Baral village in Baiyalish Mouza locality, worked at a chicken centre near Mani Mandir. The injured, 27-year-old Akash Kumar Badhei sustained critical injuries in the attack and is currently under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Police said Akash belongs to Atharanala locality in Puri. He had come to his friend Jitest Barik’s house at Balisahi in Nuapada locality on Sunday to celebrate Ganesh Puja with him.
On Monday evening, the two friends set out on a bike for pandal hopping. However, as Jitesh’s mother was admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar, he left Akash at his house to attend to his ailing mother, police said.
Soon after Jitesh left, Akash took the bike and again went to see different Ganesh Puja pandals across the city. While returning home at around 2 am, he reportedly dropped his mobile phone by mistake, on the road near Mani Mandir.
When he realised about it, he stopped there and started looking for the phone.
However, when Akash failed to find it, he requested Pratap, who was sitting inside his chicken centre nearby, to help him find his device, said police.
Pratap, however, refused to cooperate following which an argument ensued between the duo leading to a scuffle. A provoked Pratap then allegedly brought the cleaver used for chopping chicken, and attacked Akash with it after which the latter sustained multiple injuries on his head, face, chest and hand.
When critically-injured Akash collapsed in a pool of blood, Pratap fled the spot.
On being informed, police reached the spot, rescued Akash and rushed him to SCB MCH. Basing on the victim’s complaint, the accused was arrested, said a senior police officer.