Bhubaneswar, March 4: A 40-year-old man has chopped off his genitals and offered it to Lord Shiv in the hope of getting a child in Ganjam.

The victim, Natabar Naik, is now undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur in a critical condition. Natabar is a native of Alasu village in Jagannath Prasad police limits of Ganjam. The incident took place yesterday barely two days after a 17-year-old girl was beaten to death by her two cousins claiming to have possessed power by Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu in Jharsuguda.

Police rescued a profusely bleeding Natabar from Nilakantheswar temple at Kulangi village yesterday. "Natabar had been on a fast since Thursday night. Yesterday afternoon, the temple priest found him writhing in pain and placing his severed testicles on the Brushav statue at the temple," said Kulangi villager Mahadev Mallick.

"Natabar took the step out of frustration as he had no children. He had earlier offered prayers at several temples seeking a child, but failed to get one. He had also visited many witches and tantrics, without any result," said Bhanjanagar sub-divisional police officer Utkal Kesari Das. The police have seized the knife, with which Natabar severed his testicles, from the temple. He had married seven years ago.

Members of the temple management committee today performed special puja to "purify" the temple. "We suspect that some witch might have advised Natabar to chop off his testicles and offer them to god. We will record the statement of the victim," said a police official.