Bhopal/Satna, April 20 (IANS) In a shocking and gruesome incident that has sent shockwaves across Madhya Pradesh, an 11-year-old boy was brutally murdered on Monday in Bank Colony in Satna district.

The accused allegedly slit the child’s throat with a sickle (locally known as hansiya) before stuffing the body into a blue drum, locking the rented house from outside, and fleeing the scene immediately after committing the crime.

The crime, which occurred under the jurisdiction of Kolgawan Police Station, has left the victim’s family devastated and the entire locality in a state of fear, panic, and mourning.

The victim has been identified as a Class 5 student. The family, originally from Nayagaon under the Sabhapur Police Station area, was living in a rented house in Satna.

The victim’s father reportedly suffers from mental health issues and works as a labourer in Nashik, Maharashtra, rarely visiting home. The boy’s mother works as a cleaner, while his elder brother does daily wage labour and his sister attends college.

According to police and family accounts, the incident took place around 3:30 p.m. on April 20, 2026, when the minor boy was alone at home. His mother had gone out for work, along with other family members who were not present at the time of the incident.

Upon returning around 3 p.m., she found the house locked from outside. Raising suspicion, one of her son’s shoes was lying at the doorstep, and the ceiling fan inside the house was still running.

Unable to locate her son despite searching the neighbourhood and nearby areas, she alerted her elder son and daughter before approaching the police for immediate help.

Kolgawan police, led by Station In-charge Sudip Soni, along with FSL officer Mahendra Singh and ASP City Shivesh Singh Baghel, reached the spot and broke open the lock of the house.

What they discovered inside was horrifying: blood stains spread across the floor, a blood-soaked pillow lying on the bed, and blood splatters visible on the walls of the room.

Following the trail of blood inside the house, the police recovered the child’s body stuffed inside a blue drum. The boy had been killed by slitting his throat with a sharp-edged sickle.

The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain further details regarding the nature of injuries and exact cause of death.

The accused has been identified as Mathura Rajak, 45, a resident of the Satna Bus Stand area, who runs a dry-cleaning (pressing) shop in the locality.

He is suspected of committing the crime due to a personal grudge and prior disputes with the victim’s family. Reports indicate an old feud involving the victim’s mother.

The boy’s mother alleged that Mathura had been harassing her and occasionally trying to communicate with her. When she stopped interacting with him, he allegedly began issuing threats to harm her children in revenge.

“They used to talk occasionally. When she stopped talking, Mathura started threatening to kill the children,” the mother told police, directly accusing him of the murder.

Some accounts also link the motive to a recent dispute between Mathura and the boy’s father around 10 days prior to the incident.

After committing the crime, Mathura allegedly locked the house from outside and absconded from the area. His shop remains closed, and his mobile phone is currently switched off.

Police have registered a case in connection with the incident and launched a massive manhunt to trace and arrest the accused at the earliest.

“The accused will be arrested soon,” said Station In-charge Sudip Soni, assuring swift action in the case.

The brutal killing of a minor boy over a personal feud has sparked outrage in Satna district. Residents of Bank Colony expressed deep shock, with many describing the area as gripped by fear and tension following the incident.

The incident has also raised serious concerns over safety in residential localities and highlighted the vulnerability of children left alone at home due to economic compulsions faced by working-class families.

–IANS

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