Boinda: The bodies of two minor boys of Hatasimili village who were missing for the last 12 days were recovered near a nullah in Ranibandh village under Thakurgad police limits in Angul district Sunday.
The deceased were identified as Sipun Nayak (14), son of Bijay Nayak, and Amulya Nayak (17), son of Bhimasen Nayak. The finding of the bodies buried in a pit has spread shockwaves in the area.
A section of the villagers cried foul over the deaths claiming that it was case of human sacrifice during Dussehra and accused some sorcerers in nearby villages.
On the other hand, their families claimed that the boys were killed as they were aware of the relationship of two youths of Athamallik with a woman of the village.
Some villagers also claimed that the two were electrocuted while fishing after coming in contact with livewires spread near the nullah to poach wild animals.
Some villagers were fishing in the nullah Sunday morning. They smelled stink emanating near the nullah and informed the villagers. The villagers noticed the hands of the dead minors out of the pit and informed the police.
Angul ASP BK Pradhan, Thakurgad IIC Babakhya Nayak and Athamallik tehsildar B Mohapatra rushed to the spot and started an investigation. The police team dug out the pit and seized the bodies for post-mortem at Athamallik sub-divisional hospital.
A case was registered over a complaint lodged by Bhimasen Nayak, the father of one of the deceased.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the minors might have died of electrocution and later their bodies were buried in the pit.
The two boys left home for fishing in the nullah October 24 but went missing and never returned home. Their families searched for them in all possible locations but failed to trace them. The families instead of lodging an FIR in the police station informed the villagers about the missing of the children.
The villagers convened a meeting where they advised the families to perform rituals before the village deity praying for the safe return of their children. While performing the rituals, a man ‘possessed’ by the deity told them that they will receive information about their children after 12 days, according to the villagers.
PNN
