Bhubaneswar, Sep 29 (IANS): Two people were arrested in Odisha for allegedly murdering a seven-year-old boy as they believed it will ward off evil spirits, police said Monday.

The body of Dasrath, son of a daily wage labourer of Jhalipadar village in Bolangir district, about 450 km from here, was found floating in a pond in nearby Gandhrabadh village Saturday, a day after he went missing.

The boy's hands were found tied, sub-divisional police officer Dilip Purohit told IANS.

During the investigation, police detained two men - Banke Behera and Hrusikesh Das - and they confessed that they murdered the boy to ward off evil spirits, the police official said. Later, they were put under arrest.

Behera and Das, the person who allegedly practices black magic, told police that they lured the boy to accompany them on the pretext of providing him snacks.

Behera was suffering from mental illness since after his arrest in a murder case 10 years ago. He underwent treatment in several hospitals but was not cured fully.

Das suggested Behera to kill a boy if he wanted to get rid of his illness.

Behera and Das tied the hands of the boy and strangulated him to death. They, later, dumped the boy's body in the pond, the police officer said.