Septic tank from where Shuban’s body was recovered. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Bhubaneswar/Rourkela, May 29: Panic spread in the steel city after the decomposed body of a seven-year-old boy was recovered from a septic tank behind Ispat College.

The boy had been missing since May 16.

Three persons, including a woman, were arrested today and they confessed to have kidnapped and murdered Subhan Binjia for a ransom amount of Rs 2 lakh.

“We have arrested three persons. They confessed to have masterminded and committed the crime. The accused have been booked under Section 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping for ransom), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code,” said inspector in-charge of Sector 15 police station Subhranshu Mishra.

The arrested persons were identified as Anand Tandia, Gaji Sahu and Gurubari Ekka.

Tension prevailed at the Tumkela slum where both the prime accused, Anand Tandia, and the boy’s family were staying. Angry locals gathered in front of Tandia’s house and made an attempt to set it on fire after recovery of the body and arrest of the three accused. Police, however, reached the spot and prevented the mob from setting the house afire. They also rounded up Tandia’s mother and sister and detained them at the police station.

Two sections of police forces were deployed in the locality to prevent any further untoward incident.

Subhan went missing on May 16 afternoon when he was playing near his house. His father Sukru Binjia, a contract labourer, lodged a missing complaint at the Sector 15 police station at night after the boy had not returned home.

Next day, Binjia received a phone call from Gurubari Ekka, who said that his son was under their custody.

“She asked me to come to the Power House lane with Rs 2 lakh and get my son back,” he said.

Sukru informed the police and gave the cell phone number of the caller. Police then tracked the cell phone and nabbed the three accused yesterday. During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had kidnapped the boy for ransom and killed him the next day (May 17). They committed the crime after coming to know that police had been informed.

The accused showed the septic tank, in which they had hidden the slain boy’s body. Police recovered the decomposed body today and sent it for post-mortem.

It was revealed from interrogation that prime accused, Anand Tandia, had a feud with the deceased’s family over borrowing of money. Ananda’s father Chhabi had borrowed Rs 40,000 from Sukru, which he did not repay.

Ananda had also learnt that Sukru’s father, a former employee of Rourkela Steel Plant, had recently received his post-retirement dues, police sources said.