Two arrested for sacrifice of minor boy in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Kendrapara, Apr 16:

Police arrested two persons in connection with the alleged case of human sacrifice at Gokhapada village under Marsaghai police limits in Odisha’s Kendrapara district a short while ago.

The arrested have been identified as Choudhury Abinash Das alias Munna Choudhury and Baikuntha Das. Police had yesterday detained the two and another person in connection with the alleged human sacrifice and had subjected them to interrogation.

During the interrogation, the two accused confessed to have killed the child for achieving supernatural powers through tantra, police sources said.

Choudhury Abinash Das alias Munna Choudhury, popularly known as Munna Baba, admitted before the police during interrogation that he was practicing tantra for the last ten years or so in the belief that he would become immortal and would be a rich man through tantric siddhi, said police sources.

Local sources said the prime accused Munna Choudhury had built up a mutt as well as a place for worship on the banks of River Luna and had installed an idol of Lord Hanuman in it on government land. He had made the villagers believe that through he would bring prosperity in their lives through tantra. He was being assisted in his practices by two persons one of whom, Baikuntha Das was also arrested along with him by the police today. The third person is being interrogated by the police.

Meanwhile, irate villagers have blocked the National Highway No.5 at Mangala Chowk demanding compensation for the deceased child’s family and exemplary action against the accused persons.

The body of the eight-year-old child identified as Bikram Naik, son of Pradip Naik of Gokhapada village who had gone missing since Monday evening from his home, was found on the banks of River Luna with his throat slit with a sharp instrument on Tuesday.

The spot from where the body was recovered was a little distance away from the spot where some villagers were conducting a yagna to celebrate Mahaveer Jayanti giving rise to suspicion that the child could have been sacrificed by those organizing the yagna.

Soon after Bikram went missing, his family had lodged a complaint with the police at the Marsaghai police station on Monday evening. On recovery of the body Tuesday evening, the child’s family members informed the police that they suspected it to be case of child sacrifice.

With organizers of the yagna fleeing the spot before completion of the yagna, which was scheduled to conclude in the night, added to the suspicion that the child could have been sacrificed by the organizers of the yagna.

Irate villagers set fire to the temporary structure where the yagna was being conducted and the house of one of the organizers. A large number of policemen have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.

Kendrapara SP Satish Gajbhiye visited the village yesterday to take stock of the situation.

On the basis of prima facie evidence, Gajbhiya had admitted it to be a case of murder and suspected that the child could have been sacrificed.