The mystery behind the disappearance of an 8-year old boy, Rajesh Kumar Nayak, of Gokhapada village, was cleared on Tuesday with the discovery of his body from a nearby river. He had gone missing on Monday night while going to see a yagnya organised in the village. On Tuesday evening his body was found floating on the luna river water near the village and the police said his throat was slit by a sharp-edged weapon.
According to the SP of Kendrapada, who visited the spot on Tuesday, the Marshaghai police have detained two fellow villagers, including a sorcerer and are conducting inquiry on the alleged matter. The reason behind the murder of the boy was due to human sacrifice for possibly propitiating evil power for the attainment of mastery in witchcraft and to achieve desired wish by a sorcerer. The duo detainees were identified as Muna alias Abhinas Choudhury (sorcerer) and Ananta alias Antarjyami Das of Gokhapada.
As per the preliminary inquiry, Raiesh on last Monday went to see yangya that was organized in the village by the sorcerer Muna. later, sorcerer Muna allegedly by taking the help of Antarjyami and his brother Bairagi kidnapped Rajesh from the yangya place and later the duo sorcerers with the help of the two brothers sliced the throat of Rajesh and collected blood in an earthen pot to offer the blood to an evil spirit. They threw the child’s body to the luna river, stated SP Gajbhiye. The house accused Bairagi, who helped the sorcerer in the child sacrifice, was torched by the irate locals on Wednesday wee hours following he fled from the village on Tuesday when the police conducted raid at his house after getting information about his involvement in the child sacrifice.
On Wednesday, a sniffer dog squad from Jagatsinghpur and a scientific team from Cuttack rushed to the spot. Even the sniffer dog squad also went to the yangya place and to the house of Bairagi. The police sent the body of the deceased child to the District Headquarters Hospital for autopsy. Meanwhile, the Marshaghai police have registered a case bearing case no 87/15 under Section 302 and 34 of IPC and are conducting further inquiry, stated SP.