BALANGIR: Around 500 angry villagers on Tuesday morning ransacked the Kamsara police outpost and set a police jeep on fire after a murder accused fled from police custody. The accused allegedly killed a 12-year-old boy and buried him on Monday.

Sources said at about 9 in the morning, villagers started gathering in front of the out post after they came to know that the suspected accused, who was detained in the out post, fled. The villagers were further infuriated when police traced the body of the deceased, which was found buried in an agricultural land, about one kilometer from the village.

Villagers then set a police jeep afire and ransacked the house of the paternal uncle of the accused. It took about four hours for police to contain the mob. While a forensic team from Balangir rushed to the spot for detail investigation, the body was sent for post mortem.

Sumanta Rana, a minor, who was in jail in connection with stealing, allegedly killed Kalakanhu Podh , (12), packed his body in a gunny bag and then buried it in a nearby agricultural land, about one kilometer from the village.

"We had nabbed the boy as he was seen roaming with the murdered boy before the latter went missing. After Sumanta fled the out post, it reinforced their doubts that Sumanta was the accused," said IIC of Tarva police station Bhojaraj Pradhan. He said Sumanta is a juvenile delinquent and he had been recently released from jail. He is suspected to have fled in the early hours of Tuesday.

"We have sent two teams of police to probable places like his relatives' homes near the village. He will be caught soon," said Pradhan. Now the situation in the village is normal and angry villagers have dispersed, he added.

Police however are yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder. Confidential sources revealed that the deceased's father is a home guard and he helped catch the accused in a theft case. It is suspected that kalakanhu was killed in order to take revenge against his father.

