The conductor of a private bus was allegedly murdered by two men at Bairampally village in Hiriyadka police station limits in Udupi district early on Friday.
The police have identified the deceased as Prashanth Poojary, 38.
According to the police, Prashanth was sleeping in his house, when two men knocked on the door and called him out.
Vijaya, Prashanth’s wife, heard them shouting at each other outside. One of the men came into the house and snatched a sickle from Ms. Vijaya. He then went out locking the door from outside.
Ms. Vijaya could hear her husband shouting outside and rang up her neighbour, Umesh Bhandary, who came after some time and opened the locked door.
They could hear Prashanth in pain in the garden but they were afraid to go out.
Ms. Vijaya then rang her brother, Santosh, who came along with his father, Sundar Poojary, and sister, Shanthi.
They went into the garden and saw Prashanth lying dead in a pool of blood. There were stab wounds on his body. A motorcycle was found lying outside the house.
The police suspect that enmity was responsible for the crime.
A case has been registered at the Hiriyadka police station and investigation is on, the police said.