JAJPUR: Mystery shrouds the death of a missing six-year-old boy whose body was found floating in a water-filled abandoned stone quarry near Chargotha village within Jenapur police limits here on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Shivu Rout of Chargotha. Police have detained the boy’s father Bauribandhu Rout and are questioning him to ascertain if he had a role in his son’s death.
Sources said Shivu was last seen playing on the village road in front of his maternal uncle’s house on Wednesday evening. After he disappeared mysteriously, his family members launched a search with the help of locals but failed to trace him. On Thursday morning, some villagers found the boy’s body floating in the water-filled abandoned stone quarry near Chargotha.
After getting the news of the boy’s death, villagers of Chargotha accused Bauribandhu of killing his son. Shivu’s uncle also lodged a complaint in Jenapur police station alleging the role of Bauribandhu in the boy’s death.
In the complaint, he said Bauribandhu married the daughter of a fellow villager seven years back. After the birth of Shivu, he drove his wife and son away from his home over some dispute. Since the last four years, the boy and his mother were staying in his maternal uncle’s house.
“As Bauribandhu was planning to remarry another woman, he perceived his son as an obstacle. Hence, he kidnapped the boy and dumped his body in the abandoned stone quarry after killing him on Wednesday night,” alleged Shivu’s uncle.
On being informed, Jenapur police reached the spot and recovered the boy’s body from the quarry. The body was sent to the hospital for postmortem. A scientific team also visited the spot for investigation.
Jenapur IIC Nirupama Jena said police have detained Bauribandhu on basis of the complaint filed by the boy’s maternal uncle. He is being interrogated. The exact cause of the boy’s death can be ascertained after the postmortem report arrives.
As tension flared up after recovery of Shivu’s body, a platoon of police force has been deployed in the village to ensure law and order in the area. Further investigation is underway, Jena added.