A 27-year-old man allegedly murdered his four-year-old relative in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh and removed his kidneys, lungs and eyes to sell them online after being influenced by social media, police said on Sunday.
The victim, Jitendra Ram, had been missing since November 5. His father, Ramjeet Ram (36), lodged a missing complaint at Sanna police station on Saturday, Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh said.
The accused, identified as Basudev alias Tangnu, was arrested after the child’s body was found stuffed in a sack and dumped in a pit in Lodhenapath Mahua village, Jashpur district, police said. During interrogation, Basudev allegedly confessed to the crime, telling police that he was dissatisfied with his earnings from daily-wage work and wanted to make quick money, Singh said. The accused regularly browsed social media platforms for ways to earn money and subsequently developed the idea of extracting and selling the organs of young children, the SSP said, citing his statement. He subsequently wrapped the body in a blanket and quilt, stuffed it into a sack and dumped it in a water-filled pit in a field before covering it with soil, police said.
Ramjeet had moved with his family to Sanna village about a year ago in search of work and lived in a hut near the Aamatchua river dam.
The accused, who is the complainant’s maternal cousin, frequently visited their house, the SSP said. Ramjeet found his son’s body stuffed in a sack, wrapped in a blanket and quilt, and partially buried in a water-filled pit near a maize field While searching for the child with family members on Saturday.
