A man, suspected to be mentally unstable, hacked two persons to death and injured six others in Odisha's Nayagarh district on Thursday, police said.
The incident happened at Oadagaon town, about 93 km from here, the police said.
The man went berserk and attacked anyone since Thursday morning, they said.
Trilochan Sethi, a night-watchman of Odagaon Market was the first victim, a police officer said, adding, the man hit Sethi with an iron road and killed him.
He then chased passersby, the officer said.
Later, he attacked a woman, identified as Madani Pradhan, near the cinema hall and killed her on the spot.
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Another woman was seriously injured in the attack, the police officer said.
After getting information, a team of policemen from Odagaon police station rushed to the market area and tried to overpower him.
He retaliated and five policemen, including the inspector in-charge (IIC), were injured in the attack.
The team later overpowered the man and brought him to the police station, the police officer said.
Local people said that the man belongs to a nearby village in Odagaon block.
He had been spotted roaming in the market area for the last three days, he said.
"We have nabbed the man and sent him to the hospital for treatment," the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Nayagarh, Dilip Sahani, said.
Following the incident, local people staged a road blockade demanding compensation for the bereaved families, he said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep condolances to the bereved families.
He announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia to the next of kins of the deceased and free medical treatment for the injured persons.
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