Bengaluru: An unidentified man allegedly stabbed a 36-year-old autorickshaw driver to death in the early hours of Thursday here, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Rechanna P.

According to the police, the complaint was lodged by Girish S (43), a flower vendor and a close relative of the deceased.

"In the early hours of January 1, at around 12.19 am, the complainant received a phone call from his friend Chandrashekhar, also known as Chandru, informing him that Rechanna had been stabbed to death by unknown persons in front of his house," a police officer said.

Police said that when the complainant rushed to the spot, he found Rechanna lying dead in a pool of blood in the passage in front of his house in Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, near Nandam Circle, under the limits of the KP Agrahara police station in Bengaluru.

"Preliminary examination revealed stab injuries on the left side of the chest and the left side of the back, inflicted with a sharp weapon," police said.

A murder case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, police added.

"The complainant suspects that unknown persons, owing to previous enmity, murdered Rechanna using a sharp weapon and has sought legal action against the culprits," police said.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the motive behind the murder and to identify and arrest the accused, police added.