PATNA: A 22-year-old man allegedly killed his one-and-a-half-year-old younger brother and left his severed head at a Durga temple in Bihar’s Patna district, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place in Jeetan Chhapra village under Ranitalab police station limits in Paliganj subdivision. The child's head and torso were found separately on the temple premises, following which locals alerted the police.
The accused, identified as Ajit Kumar alias Bala, allegedly took the child from their home and carried him to the temple, located around 200 metres away, where he allegedly severed the child's head, police said.
Police said that Ajit had allegedly been addicted to drugs for several months. However, the motive behind the killing has not yet been established. The child's parents reached the temple after being informed about the incident and found their son's severed head there, police said.
Ajit has been arrested and the weapon allegedly used in the crime has been recovered, police said. A team from the Patna Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was also called to examine the crime scene.
"The local residents informed us that the body of a child had been found at the Durga temple in Jeetan Chhapra village. A police team reached the spot and started investigating the matter. The reason behind the incident has not yet been ascertained. The family members are being questioned. The accused has also been arrested," Paliganj DSP-2 Pankaj Sharma said, adding that the accused would be produced before the court after interrogation.
Locals told the police that Ajit’s behaviour has changed due to excessive use of drugs in the past few months. He was also in touch with a local sorcerer who might have influenced him to sacrifice the child, a resident said.
Meanwhile, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikey K Sharma said that instructions have been given to investigating officer to collect evidence and submit the chargesheet against the accused at the earliest.
The killing of the minor boy has sent shockwaves among local residents, who demanded exemplary action against the accused. They further demanded that the accused should not be released on bail as he may harm more children in the village.
