SIRAHA: An octogenarian was allegedly hacked to death in Dhangadhimai Municipality-11, Siraha, on Tuesday night.

The victim has been identified as Phanilal Yadav, 80. According to police, an unidentified group attacked him with a sharp weapon while he was on the bed.

His son, Kapildev Yadav, said the family only came to know about the incident following morning after Phanilal failed to wake up until late in the morning. He was found severely injured in his bed.

Though he was rushed to the provincial hospital in Lahan, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment, police confirmed.

Following the incident, locals staged a protest for about an hour in the Dhangadhi Bazar area, accusing police of arriving late at the incident scene. Demonstrators burned tyres, disrupting traffic along the East-West Highway.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Birendra Kumar Paswan said a preliminary investigation suggests the motive may be linked to a family dispute or an old personal enmity. “Police have intensified the investigation,” he said.