Gadag (Karnataka), April 19 : Four persons have been hacked to death in the Gadag district of Karnataka on Friday.

The deceased were identified as Karthik Bakale (27), Parashurama, (55), his wife Laxmi (45) and their daughter Akanksha (16), all four are residents of Koppal.

Karthik Bakale was the son of Betageri Municipality Vice President Sunanda Bakale.

SP Gadag, B.S. Nemagouda, said four persons were hacked to death in the wee hours of Friday, adding that the accused used sharp-edged weapons to commit the crime.

'The murderers had first knocked at the door but they entered the house through the balcony after the victims did not open the door. We will track them down and arrest them soon,' he said.

He said that the Bakale family had fixed the marriage of their first son Karthik and relatives had come to their residence for preparations. The deceased Parashuram, his wife and daughter had come to their residence on April 17.

He said that on April 18, the family celebrated the birthday of the deceased Laxmi as well.

'After the celebration, the Parashuram family slept on the first floor of the house. The killers had broken the window glass of the room and hacked his family to death after gaining entry,' the SP said.

Karthik Bakale who was sleeping in the room on the ground floor had woken up by the screams and gone to check what had happened but the killers had hacked him to death too after spotting him.

The murders also knocked on the door of the room where Municipality Vice President Sunanda and her husband Prakash Bakale were sleeping. However, the couple had made a phone call to the police and did not open the door. Sensing this, the killers had escaped from the spot.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil has also visited the residence of the Bakale family and condoned the deaths.

/IANS