Bengaluru: Four people of a family, including three women and a child were stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Tripti Nagar area of Udupi taluk on Sunday, police officers familiar with the matter said.

According to the officers, four special units were established by the Udupi police on Monday to intensify the investigation into the matter. The assailant remains at large.

Udupi superintendent of police (SP) Arun Kumar, while addressing the media, indicated that the incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Malpe police station. “The incident took in the limits of the Malpe police station. Four people of a family have been killed and one person has been injured in the attack. We suspect that it could be a case of personal enmity since no evidence of any theft has been found during the investigation,” Kumar said.

The victims have been indemnified as Haseena (46) and her three children, Afnan (23), Aynaz (21), and Aseem (12). Another family member, Hajira (70), sustained stab injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) ranked officers are set to lead the four special units dedicated towards solving the crime.The investigation will focus on the motive behind the killings and any possible connections between the victims and the assailant, the SP said.

The assailant, described as a 40-year-old bald man who wore a mask, reportedly hired an auto from Santhekatte to Tripti Nagar around 8.30 am on the day of the incident. “The auto driver said that the suspect returned to the auto stand within half an hour, hired another auto, and fled the scene. It was a swift and calculated attack,” an investigator, on the condition of anonymity, said.

After the attack, the neighbours, who were alerted by the screams of the victims, discovered them (victims) lying in a pool of blood. Law enforcement was promptly notified, and the injured family member was rushed to the hospital.

The 23-year-old victim, Afnan, who worked at Air India in Bengaluru, had returned home for the Deepawali holiday. Haseena’s husband is currently employed in Dubai.

Kumar, who visited the crime scene, assured that efforts were underway to capture the suspect. The police are analysing CCTV footage from the area, focusing on the suspect’s movements before and after the crime. Two individuals were briefly taken into custody for questioning in connection with the case, he said.

The bodies of the victims have undergone post-mortem examinations and have been released to their family members. The further investigation into the matter is underway and details are awaited.