The new year began with a horrific, bloody scene in a town after a teacher was allegedly hacked to death with an axe, according to multiple reports.
A staff member of the Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir School in Malkangiri, India, in Odisha, reportedly attacked one of the teachers with the deadly weapon on Sunday. Police say teacher Nirakar Sethi (also spelled “Sethy” by others) was taken to a local hospital but eventually succumbed to his wounds.
According to an article by Odisha TV, suspect Naresh Kshatriya launched the attack after “a small argument”.
Local law enforcement reportedly believe the victim and his assailant, who were on campus at the time, engaged in a verbal altercation. However, things soon spiraled out of control.
Inset: A hatchet is seen in Washington, DC on March 28, 2018; Empty school desks in Cardiff, Wales, November 7, 2022. A teacher in India was reportedly hacked to death after an argument with a school employee. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Matthew Horwood/Getty Images
“The scene got ugly when Naresh lost his composure,” reported Odisha TV. “He grabbed an ax and attacked Nirakar, seriously injuring himself.”
At one point, the teacher, who had started bleeding profusely, was seen by other instructors, according to the article. The other educators tried to save him by rushing to Malkangiri District Main Hospital.
By the time they got there, however, the victim had apparently died, according to Odisha TV. Doctors pronounced him dead shortly after his arrival.
Another newspaper, a daily called Pragativadi, reported that the teacher “died on the spot.”
Police officers then confiscated the teacher’s body and handed it over to his family after an autopsy, according to local media. In addition, the police have begun investigating the ordeal and have arrested the school staff for questioning.
“The incident has become the talk of the town,” wrote Odisha TV.
The educator reportedly specialized in math, according to news website Odisha Bytes. Sources also informed this outlet of the alleged root of the couple’s trivial dispute.
The teacher apparently “found the school gate open when he went there”. He then reportedly asked the suspect to keep the gate closed, citing concerns about protecting the school garden and grounds. The school employee is said to have become “angry”.
“In a fit of rage, he took an ax and allegedly attacked Sethy,” says Odisha Bytes.
Newsweek reached out to Malkangiri Police for comment.