A land dispute in Toriabandha village under Balanga police limits in Puri district developed into a violent assault on Tuesday after a man was allegedly hunted and beaten to death in the middle of the village by his nephew.
According to sources, the man, identified as Amiyananda Pradhan, was brought to the District Headquarters Hospital in severe condition, where physicians proclaimed him dead on arrival. The accused has escaped, according to police, who have opened an inquiry.
Sources said that the assault took occurred following a prolonged disagreement about ownership and partition of family land. Witnesses told police that the accused reportedly carried the victim to the town square and attacked him brutally before fleeing the scene.

A relative of the deceased said the disagreement had worsened in recent weeks when the accused requested ownership of a prime area of land.
The boy desired to own a valuable plot of land. After the crops were harvested, his uncle promised to give him the plot. However, he (the nephew) executed him on the spot. We have filed a FIR,” the relative claimed.
Police Recover SUV, Launch Search Teams
Police units from Balanga and Pipili reached the spot soon after the event was reported. Officers have started confirming ownership and any connections to the crime after recovering a Bolero car from the scene. Tension in the village increased as a result of the incident, and more police were called in.Pipili SDPO Debashish Mishra said a dedicated squad has been created to trace the absconding accused. As part of the inquiry, officers are gathering testimony from neighbors, relatives, and witnesses.
Pradhan's serious injuries were confirmed by hospital officials. He was carried in by villagers and police, but could not be revived. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and additional action will be taken following the autopsy report and completion of preliminary evidence collecting, stated a police officer.
Police had not located the accused as of the most recent reports.