Suspected case of human sacrifice in Odisha unearthed with body parts of a minor

After police launched a search with the sniffer dog, the other severed parts of the body, suspected to be that of the minor, were found. Police said the body parts have been sent for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.

In a suspected case of human sacrifice, police in western Odisha district of Bolangir have recovered severed body parts of an 11-year-old son of a brick kiln worker who had gone missing on January 22.

Odisha police is investigating a possible case of human sacrifice. (HT Photo/Representative)

Police said on the evening of February 4, some villagers of Siletkani under Deogaon police station saw a dog eating the severed leg of a boy on Songarh riverbed. “The limb was severely decomposed. Villagers alleged that the limb belonged to the missing boy of Ugrasen Bagarti, a brick kiln worker in Siletkani, who had gone missing on the morning of January 22,” said Ranjan Bariha, inspector of Deogaon police station.

After police launched a search with the sniffer dog, the other severed parts of the body, suspected to be that of the minor, were found. Police said the body parts have been sent for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death.

On January 22 morning, Babulal Bagarti, the 11-year-old son of Ugrasen had gone missing when the latter was busy making bricks. Despite a massive search, the family could not find him. Later they lodged a missing-person case alleging human sacrifice.

Odisha Rationalist Society, an independent body of rationalists, said at least 70 persons are killed every year in the state due to practices of witch-hunting and human sacrifice. “Despite much progress, cases of human sacrifice and witchcraft does not seem to abate in largely backward villages of Odisha,” said Debendra Sutar of Odisha Rationalist Society.