Bhubaneswar: A homeless man was bludgeoned to death behind a police outpost, barely 100m away, within Jagannath Ballav parking complex in Puri on Wednesday.Police said the middle-aged victim, believed to be mentally ill and living on the footpath near the parking area, suffered grievous injuries on his head and face. His identity is being ascertained.“We are trying to establish his identity. Preliminary examination suggests he was struck repeatedly with a heavy object during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The nature of injuries indicates a deliberate and violent assault,” a senior police officer said.Police officers are probing whether the crime was committed by a single assailant or involved multiple people. The motive remains unclear. Officers have begun scanning CCTV footage from the parking zone and adjoining lanes to trace movement around the time of the incident. “We are examining all angles, including whether the victim had any altercation with locals or miscreants,” said another officer.The murder has raised questions about security inside the busy parking facility, which is frequented by thousands of Jagannath devotees daily. “It is shocking that such a gruesome killing happened right behind a police outpost. If this can occur in a supposedly secure zone, what safety do ordinary citizens have?” said Kedar Mohanty, a local vendor.Residents urged police to strengthen patrolling and surveillance in the area to prevent recurrence of such crimes.