Two brothers were killed and three of their family members critically injured after they were attacked Tuesday night by a person who was at loggerheads with them for the last few years in Burla town of Odiha’s Sambalpur district, police said.

Police said that before the deadly attack, the accused Sandeep Suna had driven a car in which some of his friends were also there and almost bumped into the two young men – Bulu Bisoi and Muna Bisoi who were sitting on a heap of sand. The two brothers jumped aside to save themselves.

“Soon after, the Bisoi brothers had an altercation with Suna and his friends. The two families were already at loggerheads over the last 4-5 years and had filed FIRs against each other. Suna left after the altercation only to return with some of his friends to Bisoi’s house and started assaulting the two brothers, their parents and maternal uncle with sharp weapons,” said Burla sub-divisional police officer Sishu Ranjan Mohapatra.

It was after the miscreants left that locals informed the police who had admitted the family to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, where brothers Muna Bisoi (30) and Bulu Bisoi(34) died. Their father Pitabasa Bisoi (50), mother Sangita Bisoi (47), and maternal uncle Narendra Bhandekar (52) are critical.

Police have detained the main accused and three other persons in this connection and seized the car allegedly used by them.