TV
A three-year-old boy was allegedly bludgeoned to death on Sunday over a family dispute between the victim's father and a local youth at Nahabeda village under Jhumpura Police limits in Keonjhar district. However, the incident came to the fore on Tuesday.
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According to sources, the child had gone missing on Saturday, following which his family had lodged an FIR with Jhumpura Police to trace the minor boy. He was reportedly killed by the accused youth with a stone, a crime purportedly linked to a conflict between two families in Nahabeda village.
Identified as the perpetrator, Sritam Munda is said to have had an unresolved issue with the child’s father, Chandan Munda. In a vengeful act, Sritam allegedly lured the child with the offer of jujube fruit (Ber) before committing the brutal act and disposing of the boy’s body in a nearby quarry.
The family raised the alarm on Saturday when the child went missing, reporting their concerns at the police station. Upon investigation, the police detained Sritam Munda, who reportedly confessed to the crime during questioning.
Authorities, including an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), a local magistrate, and a scientific team, inspected the crime site and located the boy’s body. Sritam Munda remains in police custody while investigations continue to uncover further details.
“The reason behind the crime is that accused Sritam previously had an altercation with the deceased’s father (Chandan) on January 14 (Makar Sankranti Day). Chandan had mediated and asked Sritam not to indulge in a scuffle,” the ASP Harapriya Naik said to OTV.
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“However, Sritam had not listened to Chandan and later the accused’s father was called to the spot. After reaching, the accused youth’s father beat him severely and took him home,” the ASP stated.
“Irked with this, Sritam killed the child to take revenge on Chandan,” the ASP added.
