Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 (IANS): A 5-year-old girl was murdered, and a woman stabbed to death in two separate incidents in Bhubaneswar.

Both the incidents happened late Monday night and police have launched a manhunt to arrest the culprits.

In the first case, a 25-year-old married youth killed the minor girl by slitting her throat after allegedly raping her in a slum under Airfield police limits late Monday night. The accused identified as Ghania Das, a daily wager, was on the run after committing the crime, said police.

“Monday evening, I went inside the house for some work while my daughter was playing with her toys near our residence. I found her missing when I came outside after a few minutes.A local told me that the accused had taken her away,” said the victim's mother.

When the family members asked Das about the girl, he pushed them away and fled. Later, the victim’s family recovered the bloodstained body wrapped in a blanket under the accused Das' bed in his house. The victim’s mother alleged that the accused killed the girl after raping her.

“On being informed, police along with the forensic team reached the spot and started an investigation. Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's family, we have registered a case (274/23) against the accused on the charges of murder. However, we are awaiting for the autopsy report and will slap rape charges against the accused after confirmation,” saidAshok Kumar Nayak,the IIC of Airfield police station.

Police sources claimed that a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused..

In another incident, a 35-year-old woman was killed by unknown miscreants at Gothapatna under Chandaka police station area on the outskirts of the city here late Monday night. The deceased identified as Sasmita Behera was staying at Krishnapuri colony in Chandaka police station here.

“Both the deceased and her husband used to run a roadside eatery at the place. The husband had gone to fetch water from a nearby tap when some assailants assaulted the wife leading to her death. The reasons behind the fatal assault are yet to be established. But, the circumstances suggest that she has been assaulted over some previous enmity,” said Prakash Chandra Pal, Additional DCP.

A case (350/23) has been registered in this regard on the basis of the complaint lodged by the victim’s brother. Sources in the police claimed that the victim had been attacked by a long sharp weapon that almost pierced her.

Two other suspected death incidents were reported at different places in the Airfield police station area on Monday.

The family members of a married woman accused her husband and in-laws of killing her over a dowry related dispute while the father of a 27-year-old girl levelled murder charges against her live-in partner.

Police have reportedly detained both the husband and the lover of the deceased women after registering two separate cases.