Minor boy was killed in human sacrifice in Odisha’s Balangir: Police

Balangir: The police have arrested two persons in connection with the “human sacrifice”of a nine-year-old boy in Odisha’s Balangir district.

Kunja Rana, the uncle and Sobhababa Rana, the brother of the victim, have been arrested on charges of abducting and murdering the minor boy, police said.

The beheaded body of the minor boy was found buried at Unndar riverbed at a village on Tuesday two days after he went missing from his home.

The deceased, Ghanashyam Rana alias Mithun, was the son of Hero Rana of Sindhekela Kumbharapada village in the district.

The Balangir police, along with a scientific team had been investigating the case and got to know that it was clear case of “human sacrifice”.

“Kunja Rana and Sobhabana Rana had kidnapped and killed the minor following the instruction of a sorcerer to ward off evil spirits affecting their families,” said Titlagarh SDPO Saroj Mahapatra.

Kunja had brought the minor boy in his bike to the riverbed where Sobhabana was waiting to help him in committing the crime, Mahapatra added.

During interrogation by the police, Kunja has confessed to killing the minor boy, saying they had killed him to offer his blood to propitiate the goddess.

The police have seized a sharp weapon and a bike used by the accused on the day of the murdering the minor.

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.

As there was no injury marks on his body, locals suspected that it could have been a case of ‘human sacrifice’ or ‘witchcraft’.