Man kills 3-year-old niece by slitting her throat, held in Chhattisgarh

Jashpur: A man allegedly killed his three-year-old niece by slitting her throat over some family dispute in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Chhatasarai village under Baagbahar police station limits following which the accused, identified as Ramprasad Nag (35), was arrested, Jashpur Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Soni said.

On finding the girl, Khushi, alone in the house, her uncle slit her throat using a sharp weapon, leaving her dead on the spot, he said.

Victim's father, Rajaram Nag, was out of home for grazing his cattle near his home at the time of incident, he said.

Upon receiving the information, police rushed to the scene and arrested the accused, he added.

Police refuted the rumours in the village that the child's murder was a human sacrifice.

"Some villagers were spreading baseless rumours of human sacrifice regarding this heart-breaking incident. Preliminary investigation suggests family dispute as the reason behind the offence," Jashpur senior Superintendent of Police Sashimohan Singh said.

"We have also received information that the accused was suffering from some mental illness which is a subject of investigation," he said, adding that further probe into the matter was underway.