Malkangiri: A man reportedly stabbed his five-year-old daughter to death at RAC No. 14 village under Chitrakonda block of Odisha's Malkangiri district on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Sanjeev Bhatra, allegedly attacked his daughter while she was playing outside the house. Reports said Bhatra stabbed the girl in her stomach with a knife. Upon hearing her screams, the girl's mother rushed out and found her daughter lying in a pool of blood.

The critically injured girl was immediately taken to the Chitrakonda Community Health Center (CHC), but doctors declared her brought dead.

Local police, upon being informed, recovered the body and arrested Bhatra. An investigation has been launched to determine the motive behind the crime.

While the exact reason for the brutal act remains unclear, villagers suspect the involvement of Bhatra's second wife. The girl's grandfather has accused his son of killing the child at the behest of his second wife.