Siliguri, Nov. 7: A six-year-old boy was killed by his neighbour, for a paltry Rs 250.

Mithu Sarkar (26) of Milanpalli in the Bhaktinagar police station area reportedly killed Manab Chakraborty for his gold earrings, silver bangles and a silver chain. Sarkar sold the jewellery to Sailesh Karmakar, a jeweller in Belacoba, for Rs 250, which he needed, a source said.

Sarkar has been arrested and remanded in police custody for three days.

Karmakar was arrested today for purchasing unauthorised jewellery. He has already melted the bangles and the chain, police said

According to what Sarkar told the police, on Friday, he took Manab to the local market and treated him to milk and a mishti paan. Then, he took Manab to Batashibhita forest, took off the child’s T-shirt and smothered him to death with it.

“Sarkar then hid the body in the jungle and sold off the jewellery,” said Jalpaiguri additional superintendent of police Tapas Das today.

Later on the same day, when Manab’s father Gobinda, asked Sarkar about his son’s whereabouts, the youth said the child had left him some time ago.

The next day, Sarkar went to the NJP outpost under Bhaktinagar police station to “lodge a complaint”. “On Saturday, he told us that Manab’s family was blaming him for his disappearance,” said Sitaram Sinha, circle inspector, Jalpaiguri Sadar. Manab’s parents lodged a diary at the Bhaktinagar police station on Sunday.

“When we interrogated him, Sarkar confessed to his crime. He said he had killed the child because he was in dire need of Rs 250 to Rs 300, which he got after selling off the jewellery,” the circle inspector said. “The earrings, the chain and the bangles were worth Rs 800, but Sarkar sold them for Rs 250.”

Sarkar was later taken to the spot of crime and the body was recovered.

“Sarkar is a drug addict,” Sinha said.

The day before the crime, Sarkar had visited his brother-in-law for the money, but he got only Rs 50 from him. Apparently after that, he planned the murder, police said.