Koraput: A seven-year-old boy, Rushi Gantayat, was allegedly kidnapped and brutally murdered in Old Station Basti under Bissamkatak police station limits in Odisha’s Rayagada district on Saturday. Police have detained the boy’s paternal uncle, who is suspected to be the prime accused, said SP (Rayagada) Swathy S Kumar.According to preliminary probe, the child went missing on the evening of March 6 after he was allegedly abducted. Soon after his disappearance, the family reportedly received a message from an unknown mobile number demanding Rs 4 lakh ransom for the boy’s safe release. “The message warned the family not to inform the police or anyone else and threatened of serious consequences if the demand was not fulfilled,” a police official said.Family members and relatives immediately started searching for the child in nearby areas. However, the search ended in the tragedy late in the night when the boy’s body was found near their old house. Police said the accused allegedly slit the child’s throat, stuffed the body into a sack and dumped it near the house.On receiving information, Bissamkatak police seized the body and sent it for autopsy. A forensic team also visited the scene and collected evidence.
