Bolangir: In a shocking incident, the beheaded body of a nine-year-old boy was found buried at Unndar riverbed at a village near here Tuesday.
Sources said, the minor boy was identified as Ghanashyam Rana alias Mithun, son of Hero Rana of Sindhekela Kumbharapada village.
The boy had gone to buy samosas from a shop Saturday evening, October 13. However, he did not return home. Family members searched for him, but in vain. Later, they had lodged a missing persons’ complaint Sunday morning. The police was searching for the boy, but there was no trace of him.
Later, the headless body was found near the Unndar riverbed near Sundhimunda village by some fishermen, 3-km from Sindhekela under Kantabanji police limits in the district, three days after he had gone missing.
According to reports, the villagers spotted the boy’s half-buried torso in the riverbed and informed the relatives who later identified the deceased as their son.
On being informed, the local police reached the spot and launched an investigation. The body was exhumed in the presence of Titlagarh SDPO Saroj Mahapatra and sent for autopsy.
A scientific team, along with a dog squad started collecting leads from the spot before launching an investigation. While exact reason behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, rumours of human sacrifice did rounds in the area.
As there was no injury marks on his body, locals suspected that it could have been a case of ‘human sacrifice’ or ‘witchcraft’.
Meanwhile, some said it was a case of kidnap and murder. However, the victim’s family members said they did not have any enmity with anyone in the locality. On the other hand, the police is yet to retrieve the head of the body.
“We have sent the body for autopsy and are waiting for the report. The police is investigating the matter in all angles,” Titlagarh SDPO Saroj Mahapatra said.
PNN