BERHAMPUR: A 15-year-old boy was accidentally shot dead during a late-night hunting expedition in Budeni village under Tikabali police limits under Chakapad block of Kandhamal district, police said on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Bibhuti Kanhar, a student of Ranpatuli high school in Khajuripada block. He had recently appeared for his Class X board examinations.
Sources said two youths of Budeni village, Pratap Kahur (30) and Suman Bindhan (25), reached Bibhuti’s house late in the night on Saturday and asked him to join them in hunting wild animals. Despite being stopped by his family members, Bibhuti ignored the warnings and went with the duo to the nearby forest.
Pratap was reportedly carrying a country-made gun that he had borrowed from a villager. Suman too had his own country-made firearm along with other hunting equipment. At around midnight, two rounds were fired during the hunt. A bullet fired from Pratap’s gun hit Bibhuti near his right eye and exited from the back, killing him on the spot, said police.
Instead of informing authorities, both the accused allegedly fled the scene. Pratap reportedly returned the gun to its owner before absconding, while Suman went to inform Bibhuti’s family about the incident. The matter came to light on Sunday morning after his father Madhaba Kanhar lodged a complaint with Tikabali police.
Acting on the complaint, a police team rushed to the spot and sent the body to Phulbani district headquarters hospital for postmortem. Police registered a case and seized the two unlicensed country-made guns along with other weapons including an axe.
Tikabali IIC Sameer Kumar Behera said Suman has been detained for questioning while Pratap is at large. A scientific team from Boudh visited the crime scene for investigation. Authorities are probing all the angles, including illegal hunting and possession of unlicensed firearms, he added.