BHUBANESWAR: A pickup van driver was allegedly killed inside a moving vehicle in broad daylight in the city by two brothers over a personal dispute on Saturday.
The deceased identified as Tukuna Das of Janata Nagar had past enmity with Sagar Prusty and his brother Sudhir.
Locals had spotted the duo attacking Tukuna with a sharp weapon near the VIP Colony area. Though they immediately rushed to his rescue, he succumbed to his injuries.
The locals then attacked Sagar and Sudhir and vandalized the vehicle before the police arrived on the spot and rescued the duo. They were rushed to Capital Hospital.
"Tukuna is a drug addict and he attacked us for money. We overpowered him and were taking him to the police station but he targeted us again following which we retaliated in self-defence," one of the accused told reporters in the hospital.
Police said further details can be ascertained after questioning Sagar and Sudhir.
"The deceased was staying near the house of the accused. Initial investigation suggests that they attacked him over a personal dispute," said an officer o Nayapalli police station.
The Capital City has been witnessing a rise in murders in the last two years. In 2019, 39 murders were reported in Bhubaneswar as against 40 in 2020.