Chhattisgarh man kills 4-year-old cousin's son, removes organs to sell online

Police arrested a man for allegedly killing a four-year-old child and removing his organs. The case centres on an alleged quick-money scheme inspired by social media.

In Short

• The victim had been missing since November 5, his father reported
• His body was wrapped and partially buried near a maize field
• Police say the accused was dissatisfied with his daily wage earnings

A 27-year-old man in Chhattisgarh allegedly murdered his four-year-old cousin's son and removed his kidneys, lungs and eyes in an attempt to sell the organs online after being influenced by social media, police said.

The accused, identified as Basudev alias Tangnu, was arrested on Sunday after the child's body was found stuffed in a sack and dumped in a water-filled pit in a field in Lodhenapath Mahua village of Jashpur district.

The victim, Jitendra Ram, had been missing since November 5. His father, Ramjeet Ram (36), lodged a complaint at Sanna police station on Saturday, Jashpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Lal Umed Singh said.

Ramjeet, who had moved with his family to Sanna village about a year ago for work, lived in a hut near the Aamatchua river dam. Basudev, the complainant's maternal cousin, frequently visited their house, the SSP said.

While searching for the child along with family members on Saturday, the father 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.

Following an investigation, police detained Basudev, a resident of nearby Chalni Gorrapath village.

ACCUSED WANTED TO MAKE QUICK MONEY

During interrogation, Basudev allegedly confessed to the crime, claiming that he was dissatisfied with his earnings from daily wage work and wanted to make more money.

According to the SSP, the accused regularly browsed social media platforms for ways to earn quick money and subsequently developed the idea of extracting and selling the organs of young children.

On November 5, Basudev allegedly lured the child and took him to different places. He bought liquor and chicken and allegedly made the boy consume alcohol.

After the child became intoxicated and fell asleep, the accused allegedly slit his throat with a knife. He then cut open the child's body and removed his kidneys, lungs and eyes, which he kept in a plastic bucket, Singh said.

The accused 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, the SSP added.

POLICE RECOVER WEAPONS, BODY PARTS

Based on the accused's disclosure, police recovered the weapons allegedly used in the crime, a plastic bucket containing the removed body parts and other related materials from a pit in the area.

Further investigation into the case is underway, police said.

- Ends