Nabarangpur, Jan 12: In a demonic act, a five-year-old child was brutally stoned to death in front of his father's eyes in Mendara village of Borigaon Gram Panchayat under Dabugaon police station limits in Nabarangpur district on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Chandan Pujari, the son of Sanadhar Pujari, the priest of Saradheswar Shiva temple of Mendara village.

To make it more horrific, the accused Jala Shanta (23), also cut off Chandan Pujari's hands and legs.

According to the sources, Chandan Pujari was hell bent on going to the hill-top Saradheswar Shiva temple where his father was doing his priestly duty.

Submitting to his grandson's desires, Chandan Pujari's maternal grandfather Hari Das took him to the temple yesterday around 9 am.

While Sanadhar Pujari was busy with his work, Chandan was playing outside the temple when accused Jala Shanta hit a stone on his head and killed him. Seeing this, his father lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Murderer Jala Shanta thereafter cut off Chandan's right hand and left leg and walked away from the murder scene.

Police reached the spot and started an investigation into the matter.

However, the exact reason behind the brutal murder of a five-year-old child is not known. Previous rivalry cannot be completely ruled out.

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