Nagpur: A 43-year-old man was brutally murdered while sleeping in the tin shed of his rented house in Nagpur’s Mankapur area in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Mehtabsing Sohanlal Chaudhary (43), who was residing on rent at Plot No. 55, Jamil Society, opposite LIC Colony, Godhani Railway area under Mankapur Police Station limits.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 1 am on July 4. Mehtabsing was asleep in the iron-sheet shed attached to his house when an unidentified man, reportedly wearing a black half T-shirt and black half-bermuda shorts, allegedly attacked him with an axe-like sharp weapon.

The assailant repeatedly struck the victim on the head, resulting in his death on the spot before fleeing the scene.

Following a complaint lodged by the deceased’s wife, Geeta Mehtabsing Chaudhary (40), Mankapur Police registered a case against the unidentified accused under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 333 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The case has been registered by Sub-Inspector Ajay Jadhav, and a search has been launched to trace the absconding accused. Further investigation is underway.