Puri: An incident of a man's brutal assault in Odisha’s Puri district has sparked outrage after a video of the attack surfaced online. The incident took place in the Kanas area, barely half a kilometre from the local police station.

According to reports, a 29-year-old man, identified as Mrutyunjay Bharimal of Dokanda village, was allegedly attacked by a group of five youths over past enmity. The attack occurred on the main road near Golabazar fish market on Sunday morning.

Mrutyunjay had reportedly gone to the market around 8:30 am to buy fish when the accused attacked him with sharp weapons. He sustained severe injuries in the attack.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers chased and repeatedly assaulted him in public, triggering panic among traders and customers, who fled the spot. The assailants then allegedly ran a scooter over him and kicked him in the face. Later, three of the accused arrived on a motorcycle and drove over the injured man, attempting to kill him.

After the attackers fled, the victim lay on the road for nearly 30 minutes before police reached the spot and shifted him to a hospital. Due to the critical nature of his injuries, he was later referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where he is battling for life. He has sustained severe injuries to his right hand and leg, with his leg reportedly severed near the knee.

A complaint has been filed by the victim’s brother, Soumyaranjan, at the Kanas police station. He has named several persons in the complaint, alleging their involvement in the murderous attack. The complainant also mentioned that the victim had received death threats a few days before the incident.

Police have formed a three-member team to trace and arrest the accused. Initial investigation suggests that the attack was the fallout of a previous rivalry.