A nine-year-old boy, whose decapitated body was found earlier this week, was sacrificed to "appease a goddess", police said Saturday.
They have arrested two people for their alleged involvement in the brutal killing -- the boy's uncle and brother -- one of whom have confessed to the crime, they said.
Titlagarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Saroj Mohapatra said the accused persons had sacrificed the boy to "appease goddess Durga for fulfilment of their wishes".
"We had started investigation suspecting it to be a case of human sacrifice. During interrogation, one of the two accused persons confessed to the crime," Mr Mohapatra told reporters.
The boy went missing the same day and his family members had lodged a complaint with Sindhekela police on October 14.
Police found the decapitated body of the minor boy buried under the sand near Undei river bank on the outskirts of Sundhimunda village on October 18. His head was also found nearby.
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