
PHULBANI/BERHAMPUR: Frustrated over his drinking habits, a 46-year-old man allegedly stabbed his elder son to death at Singamala village within Baliguda police limits of Kandhamal district here in the wee hours of Saturday. The accused, Praneswar Malik, later surrendered before the police.
The deceased was identified as Jitendra Malik (25). Sources said Jitendra was unemployed and a habitual drunkard who often created nuisance at home after consuming alcohol. Owing to his abusive habits, his wife abandoned him a year back, police said. Praneshwar has two other children - a son and a daughter. While the daughter is married, the younger son stays separately along with his wife in the same locality.
On Friday night, Jitendra allegedly returned home drunk and picked a fight with his parents besides vandalising the house. Though his father tried to stop him, Jitendra continued to abuse him following which the former locked him in a room outside the house.
On Saturday morning, Praneswar’s wife Suni woke up and went near the room when Jitendra asked her to open the door. When she denied, he allegedly threatened to break it open and started banging the door violently. To pacify him, Suni opened the door to let him out, police investigation suggested. However, moments after coming out of the room, Jitendra started abusing his parents and created a ruckus. This enraged Praneswar who then stabbed his son twice with a knife, once on his stomach and the other time on his back.
After being stabbed, Jitendra, who was profusely bleeding, ran out of the house and reached his younger brother Manu’s verandah for help. His mother too, followed him. However, when the couple came out of their house, they found that Jitendra had not been breathing.
The family took him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared Jitendra dead. Meanwhile, surrendering before police, Praneswar said he was forced to kill his son as he was peeved over his abusive behaviour.
Police registered a murder case and sent the body for postmortem. The incident has sent shockwaves across the locality.