Devbrat Patnaik

Bolangir: Despite the fact that government has laws to punish people involved in evil practices, interior areas of the State continue to remain in the grip of superstition. A 12-year-old girl, who went missing from Sindhekela of Bolangir district last month on 24th, was allegedly sacrificed by her own brother.

Such a shocking revelation was made by police after they retrieved the girl’s body from Gujichaka forest near Barkani village under the jurisdiction of Sindhikela police station today.

Reportedly on December 24, said to be the new moon day (amavasya) in the month, the girl Janani of Salebhata village was taken to a nearby jungle by her brother Sobhaban Rana to offer human sacrifice. When Janani did not return home for the next two days, the family lodged a missing complaint with police. Palpable tension prevailed in the area as villagers gheraoed Sindhekela Police Station demanding arrest of Subhoban citing his involvement. During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime and revealed how he managed to kill his own sister and under what circumstances.

Today, police along with a scientific team reached the crime spot and recovered Janani’s mutilated headless body.

Horrifying as it may sound, this is second such case of human sacrifice in a span of four months involving Subhoban.

In October last year, another decapitated body of a nine-year-old boy was found buried under the sand near Undei river bank on the outskirts of Sundhimunda village in Bolangir district. The minor boy’s head was also traced nearby.

Police had arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing, one of whom was the boy's uncle, the other being Subhoban. The latter who was out on bail recently, again sacrificed his sister to ‘appease goddess Durga for fulfilment of his wishes’, sources said.

While police investigation is still underway, Janani’s father Musuru Rana has demanded stringent punishment for his son- Subhoban.

scrollToTop