Nuapada: In a highly shocking incident, a man allegedly drowned his 14-month-old son to death and brutally attacked his minor daughter by slitting her throat at Kutiapada village under Boden police limits in Odisha's Nuapada district on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Kishore Majhi, absconded after committing the crime. Police today arrested him as he was hiding in a forest.

According to reports, an argument broke out between Kishore and his wife Jayanti over dowry, after which the woman left the house and went to her parents' home.

Later, Kishore took his two minor daughters (10 years and 8 years of age) and son into the nearby forest, with the intention of killing them. However, his younger daughter managed to escape. Kishore proceeded to drown his 14-month-old son in a pond, killing him on the spot.

He then attacked his elder daughter with a knife and slit her throat, besides breaking her nose and cutting off three of her fingers.

Kishore returned home in the evening, carrying the body of his son. He left the body outside the house and fled.

Jayanti, on being informed about the tragic incident, rushed back and took her injured daughter to the Boden Community Health Center for treatment. Her condition was reported to be stable.

Police recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem. A case has been registered in connection with the incident.

Reports said the relationship between Kishore and Jayanti had deteriorated during the past two years, with frequent disputes involving dowry demands. Kishore was reportedly violent towards his wife, leading to tension between the two families.