5-year-Old Boy Survives Night In Forest After Parents’ Suspected Suicide Attempt
Parents declared dead; child undergoing treatment in Cuttack
Deogarh (Odisha): In a chilling case of suspected murder-suicide, a five-year-old boy spent an entire night alone in a forest after his parents allegedly attempted to poison him before taking their own lives in Odisha’s Deogarh district. While the child survived the ordeal and is currently undergoing treatment, both parents were declared dead, sending shockwaves through the local community.
The incident occurred within the Kundheigola police limits, with investigators pointing to prolonged domestic discord as the likely trigger. The deceased were identified as Dushmant Majhi of Jayantapali village and his wife Rinki. According to police, the couple had a history of frequent marital disputes.
Last Tuesday, the couple, accompanied by their five-year-old son Gaurab, visited Rinki’s parental home at Jharabereni village under Chadeimara panchayat. On Saturday evening, they began their return journey to Jayantapali on a motorcycle. Midway, they reportedly got into another heated argument.
Police said the altercation escalated near Dalak village, where the couple diverted into a roadside forest area. There, they allegedly forced poison on their son before consuming the toxic substance themselves. While the couple collapsed inside the forest, the child survived and remained alone through the night.
On Sunday morning at around 10 am, the boy emerged onto the roadside carrying his mother’s vanity bag and alerted passersby that his parents were lying unconscious in the forest. Locals immediately informed the police.
A search operation led police to a rocky patch inside dense forest, around 400 metres from the road, where Dushmant and Rinki were found in critical condition. Three pesticide bottles were recovered from the spot. All three were rushed to hospital. Dushmant was declared dead at Chhendipada hospital in Angul district. Rinki and the child were shifted to the Angul District Headquarters Hospital, where Rinki succumbed later in the evening.
The child was subsequently referred to Sishu Bhawan in Cuttack for advanced treatment. Doctors said his condition is currently stable. “The child survived because he vomited the poison that was allegedly forced on him,” a doctor said, adding that ICU facilities are on standby if required.
Police have registered a case and said the exact circumstances leading to the incident will be established after completion of the investigation and postmortem examinations.
