An 11-year-old boy who had gone missing and was subsequently found dead in a septic tank at Ratanpur village under Delanga police limits in Puri district was sexually abused before the minor was allegedly killed, Puri SP Vinit Agrawal said on Tuesday in a presser.
Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinit Agrawal stated in a press briefing on Tuesday that initial investigations indicate the child was sexually assaulted prior to being murdered. Authorities have registered the case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to SP Agrawal, the accused, identified as Prabhakar Sahu alias Bapi, had lured the victim by promising him money in exchange for exposing himself. The SP further revealed that the accused then engaged in a “homosexual act” with the boy.
When the minor subsequently demanded the promised money, fearing the boy would reveal the incident to his family upon hearing the relative’s voice, the accused allegedly smothered the child and disposed of his body in the septic tank.
SP Agrawal noted that the exact sequence of events – whether the boy was killed before or after being placed in the septic tank – will be determined by the post-mortem examination. Multiple police teams were formed to investigate the case from various angles, leading to the identification and apprehension of the accused.
