Rourkela: A man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly killing his 5-year-old son and then hanging the body following a spat with his wife in Odisha’s Rourkela.
The accused has been identified as Rajesh Lakra (26), a resident of Sheetalpada slum under Udit Nagar police limits in the city.
According to sources, he reportedly took this extreme step after his wife left the house on Thursday. A neighbour, Sukanti Majhi, told the media the accused had visited her with his son, Arya, on Friday afternoon with a request to write an FIR about his wife having eloped with someone.
She further said that Rajesh was under tremendous stress as he had also borrowed money and told neighbours that someone had killed his son. “We found his child’s body hanging with a dupatta inside the house this morning. Had he killed him, he would have fled,” she added.
His wife, Gunu (24), however, blamed Raju. “We had a quarrel over some issues the day before yesterday. I left for my sister’s place along as he did not allow me to take Arya with me. Today, he killed my son,” alleged the bereaved mother.
The couple was married for seven years and were working as daily wagers.
Police sources said the accused suspected the fidelity of his wife and committed the crime with the intention of framing her for the murder. When Gunu did not return home on Friday night, Rajesh in a fit of rage strangulated the child to death with his mother’s scarf and hanged the body. He then left the house and falsely tried to impress upon his neighbours that his wife killed their son after returning this morning.
Lakra has reportedly confessed to the crime and told the investigating officer that he saw his wife riding a two-wheeler with another man and she deliberately ignored his calls.
He has been arrested for murder based on the complaint of his wife, the sources added.
