Dabugaon: A minor boy aged around five years was brutally killed in front of his father by bludgeoning the kid to death at Mendara village under Dabugaon police limits in Nabarangpur district, today.

The minor was identified as Chandan, the son of a priest in a local Shiva temple named Sanadhar Pujari. The accused youth was identified as 23-year-old Jala Santa from Mendara village.

According to a source, the youth committed the crime for reasons not known yet. As usual, Sanadhar reached the temple located on the hilltop early in the morning to perform daily rituals along with two others. As Chandan cried later and wanted to go to the temple, his maternal grandfather took the kid to his father. The accused attacked the kid when he was playing in front of the temple.

Sanadhar was busy at that time in worshipping the deities. After hearing the boy’s scream, Sanadhar became unconscious and fell to the ground. Later, the accused even cut the kid’s right hand and left leg and fled from the spot with the chopped-off body parts.

After Sanadhar got back his consciousness, he found his son lying in a pool of blood.

On being informed, Dabugaon police reached the spot and launched a probe. Police have seized the kid’s body, arrested the accused, and are interrogating him in this connection.