SAMBALPUR: Shock waves spread across Jamankira area after a man beheaded an 8-year-old girl and walked around the village clutching the minor’s severed head at Kasada here on Friday. The accused was identified as 30-year-old Prashant Bagar of Kasada. While police have arrested Bagar, the motive behind the gruesome murder is yet to be ascertained.
Police said in the morning, the girl had gone to a field near the village to answer nature’s call when the accused reached there with an axe and beheaded her. Subsequently, Bagar returned to the village and walked around holding the victim’s severed head in one hand and the axe in the other.
Many villagers, who were out to collect mahua, were horrified at the sight and ran back to their houses out of fear. The accused then walked up to a tube-well where he washed the severed head. Bagar’s wife arrived at the spot and confronted him about his action. This led to a scuffle between the couple and an enraged Bagar scared her off by swinging the axe. He then dozed off on the ground near the tube-well.
On being informed, police reached the spot along with a scientific team and arrested Bagar. Jamankira IIC Premjeet Das said the motive behind the murder is unclear. The accused didn’t have any animosity with the girl’s family. He is bad-tempered but not mentally ill. Bagar is yet to confess to his crime.“The weapon and mobile phone of the accused have been seized. The girl’s body was sent for postmortem. A case has been registered under sections 302, 201 and 34 of the IPC basing on the complaint of the victim’s father. Investigation is underway,” the IIC added.
Villagers said Bagar behaved abnormally when he was in an inebriated state. When intoxicated, he also picked up quarrels with his own family members. But he never had any differences with the victim’s family.