ANGUL: Tension flared up in Angul’s Kiakata area after the limbless body of a 14-year-old teenager was found hanging from a tree in Baruni forest on Friday. The deceased was identified as Sanchit Biswal of Subarnapur village. Alleging that the boy was killed as human sacrifice, irate villagers of Subarnapur blocked the Kiakata-Athamallik road and even torched a police vehicle.
Sources said Sanchit was getting sick frequently. Though his parents took him to different hospitals and doctors, there was no improvement in the boy’s condition. After being informed that a female traditional healer of nearby Tusar village was successfully treating chronic diseases, mother Basanti took Sanchit to her ashram on July 22.
The boy and his mother stayed in separate rooms of the ashram in the night. When Basanti woke up the next morning, she couldn’t find her son in the ashram. The traditional healer was also missing. She returned to her village and went to Kiakata police station to lodge an FIR in this connection.
Locals alleged that Kiakata police initially refused to register the FIR. After much persuasion, a case was registered the next day. Villagers of Subarnapur claimed that though police registered a case, they made no efforts to trace the missing boy.
On Friday morning, villagers spotted Sanchit’s body hanging from a tree in Baruni forest. His hands and legs were missing. Claiming that it was a case of human sacrifice, villagers first blocked Kiakata-Athamallik road. When police reached the spot, the agitators torched their vehicle. They alleged that inaction of police led to the boy’s death.
In the afternoon, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Balakrishna Kuanr reached the protest site and held discussion with the villagers. The road blockade was lifted after police assured to nab the culprits soon.
Angul SP Sudhansu Mishra said an investigation is underway to ascertain if it is a case of human sacrifice. “Those involved in the boy’s death will be arrested soon,” he added.