Koraput: In a shocking incident in Odisha's Koraput district, a man was reportedly tied to a tree and forced to watch as his wife was allegedly murdered by a group of miscreants, last evening.

The incident occurred at Hariamunda village under Nandapur police limits. The deceased was identified as Savitri Khara (21), wife of Mahendra Khara (24).

According to reports, Mahendra and Savitri were returning home after completing some work in Nandapur when they were intercepted by the miscreants near Handal Tota.

The attackers reportedly tied Mahendra to a tree and beat him severely. Their cruelty didn't stop there as they murdered Savitri in front of him before decamping with the woman's gold ornaments.

Locals later found Mahendra in a critical condition and rushed him to a hospital for treatment.

The motive behind the brutal assault and murder remains unclear. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.