The victim's elder brother, who witnessed the incident from a distance, raised an alarm following which villagers gathered at the spot. (Representational Image: Getty Images)

A man was arrested for allegedly beheading his 12-year-old nephew in order to "appease deities" for good crop harvest in Odisha's Nuapada district.

Chintamani Majhi, 48, lured his nephew to a field in Nuapada district's Jadamunda village on Saturday. Majhi later hacked him to death with a billhook.

The victim's elder brother, who witnessed the incident from a distance, raised an alarm following which villagers gathered at the spot. They later informed cops and the accused was arrested.

The police said the accused has confessed to the crime. Chintamani Majhi said he sacrificed his nephew as an offering for 'Choru', a local term that refers to the sacrifice offered to deities for bountiful harvest before the start of the new cropping season.

"We received information that an uncle killed his nephew in Jadamunda village. We have detained Chintamani Majhi and seized the weapon used in the murder. Chintamani said he did it for 'Choru' but further investigation will reveal the actual reason behind killing," Nirmal Chandra Panigrahi, the inspector-in-charge, told India Today TV.