BERHAMPUR: A 65-year-old man is battling for life after his son allegedly slit his throat over a family dispute in Pendili gram panchayat under Gudari block of Rayagada district in the wee hours of Thursday.
The victim is Dayashila Batra of D Pendili village. The accused, Kampu Batra (39), has been arrested.
Police sources said Dayashila was asleep in his house when Kampu, his elder son, reportedly slit his throat with a blade at around 3 am. Neighbours came to know about the incident around 6.30 am, detained the accused and alerted the local police. As the elderly man’s wife and three other sons were not present in the house, they also sent information to his daughter Ketaki Palaka and son-in-law Laba Palaka who reside in a nearby village.
While Ketaki and Laba rushed to D Pendili village and shifted Dayashila to Gudari community health centre, Gudari police also reached the spot for investigation.
The accused was subsequently taken into custody for questioning. Sources said the victim required seven stitches to the wound on his neck, which successfully brought the bleeding under control. As Dayashila’s condition was serious and Gudari CHC lacked the required treatment facilities, doctors referred him to the Rayagada district headquarters hospital.
The family reportedly faced difficulty in arranging money for the transfer. On learning about their financial hardship, Gudari IIC Biswabandhini Bag provided financial assistance from her own pocket and also helped shift the victim to Rayagada.
Meanwhile, police said the accused was arrested in the evening. It is being alleged that a family dispute led to the incident. Further investigation is underway, police added.