Nayagarh, May 10: A brutal murder triggered panic in Odisha’s Nayagarh district after a youth was allegedly hacked to death in an inhuman manner late on Sunday night, a source said.

The deceased has been identified as Ajit Sahu, a resident of the Shilpinagar area under Odagaon Police Station limits.

According to preliminary information, some traders were allegedly transporting Laterite stones illegally from Rohibanka to Odagaon late at night when Ajit reportedly objected to the illegal activity.

Following the confrontation, around six to seven youths allegedly attacked Ajit near Kadalibandha Chhak in Odagaon.

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The source said that the accused brutally assaulted the youth and allegedly chopped off his hands and legs before fleeing from the spot, leaving behind a gruesome scene.

After receiving information, cops from Odagaon police station reached the spot and launched an investigation into the incident.

Efforts are underway to identify and trace the accused persons involved in the barbaric killing.

Alarming Data
The gruesome killing took place at a time when Odisha has witnessed a worrying rise in murder cases compared to previous years.

As per the latest 'Crime in India 2024' report released by the National Crime Records Bureau, Odisha had registered 43,566 murder cases in 2022 and 31,749 in 2023, before the number sharply rose to 75,403 in 2024.

Odisha recorded the highest rate of violent crimes among Indian states in 2024 at 161.6 -- significantly higher than the national average of 53.2. Crime rate is calculated as the number of crimes per one lakh population.

The report further stated that Odisha ranked fourth among the 28 states in terms of murder cases registered in 2024, with 75,403 cases, behind Bihar (1,07,303), Maharashtra (87,791) and Uttar Pradesh (85,647).