Another Minor Boy ‘Kidnapped’ In Poll-Bound Jharsuguda District In Odisha

Jharsuguda: Days after abduction and murder of 15-year-old boy Samarth Agrawal over ransom, a 10-year-old boy has gone missing in the poll-bound Jharsuguda district.

According to sources, the boy, identified as Prince Soni of Buromaal area in the district, has been missing since April 7. Though a complaint in this regard was lodged with Jharsuguda police on April 9, he is yet to be traced.

The incident took place when the boy along with his sibling was alone at home with his mother hospitalised due to illness. His father was also present at the hospital. He was last seen standing in front of the house on the fateful day.

Police have started an investigation into the incident and efforts are on to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing boy.

Samarth Agrawal, 15, son of a businessman of Sarbahal in Jharsuguda, was abducted for a ransom of Rs 50 lakh on March 27 and his half-burnt body was recovered from Bheden of Bargarh district on March 28.

Slamming the BJD government in the state over the killing of the 15-year-old boy and Health Minister Naba Kishore Das in Jharsuguda, Union Education Dharmendra Pradhan on March 30, tweeted: “Murder of young Samarth exactly within two months of the broad daylight killing of Minister Naba Das exposes Odisha govt’s tall claims on rule of law”.

“Gruesome incidents like these on a regular basis, particularly in Jharsuguda have shocked everyone and weakened the trust of people of Odisha,” he added.

Senior Congress leader and MLA Santosh Singh Saluja said the people will now be afraid to cast vote in the by-election.

Reacting to Dharmendra’s remarks, senior BJD leader and MP Sasmit Patra tweeted: “Please don’t try to mislead and do politics on sensitive matters of crime. Do you know as per NCRB Report (2021), BJP-ruled states like UP, MP, Maharashtra, Assam & Haryana have more Rape cases than Odisha?”