Bhubaneswar, Mar 5 (IANS): Unidentified miscreants have shot dead Arabinda Mishra, a retired government employee, in Odisha's Kendrapara district on Saturday, police said.

The incident occurred in Badabakpur village under Mahakalpada police station of the Kendrapara district in broad daylight.

According to the police, three armed miscreants barged into the house of Mishra on Saturday afternoon and opened fire at him. When Mishra's wife Minati tried to protect him, the criminals also fired on the lady.

While Mishra died on the spot, his wife Minati was critically injured in the gun attack. Later, she was admitted to a local hospital. Arabinda was a retired employee of the Kendrapara block office.

Being informed about the incident, locals ran after the miscreants and were able to catch two of the accused, while the third managed to escape. The accused have been handed over to the police. The irate villagers have torched the motorcycle of the miscreants.

However, the reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained by police. Amiya Kumar Nayak, former sarpanch of the village, suspected that family dispute might be the reason behind the murder.