Jharkhand teen killed in sacrificial ritual; mother, tantrik among 3 arrests
Jharkhand teen killed in sacrificial ritual; mother, tantrik among 3 arrests
Police say a 13-year-old girl was strangled in a sacrificial ritual in Hazaribagh district; mother, an occultist and another man were arrested as NCW forms a probe panel.
In a chilling case from Jharkhand, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly strangled during a sacrificial ritual in Kusumbha village, Hazaribagh district. Police said the girl was killed on the night of March 24, amid village celebrations, and her body was buried in a garden. The three arrested are the victim’s mother, Reshmi Devi, a 55-year-old occult practitioner identified as Shanti Devi, and 40-year-old Bhim Ram, all from the same village. Authorities say the trio carried out the ritual believing it would cure the mother’s ailing second son.
The investigation has revealed that Reshmi Devi often visited the tantrik in her village for treatment of her youngest son, who suffers from ongoing mental and physical health issues. The occult practitioner allegedly told the family that sacrificing a virgin girl would cure all ailments, a claim police say drove the killings. The inquiries also indicated an attempt to mislead investigators by raising rape allegations, which postmortem and forensic reports did not substantiate.
The case has drawn high-level attention. The Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognizance of the alleged murder, and the National Commission for Women formed a three-member panel to probe the incident. The NCW panel will visit the site and interact with authorities, with a report expected within 10 working days. In a late-night press briefing, Hazaribagh SP Anjani Anjan and DIG Anjani Jha confirmed the arrests and underscored the need for a thorough, transparent investigation to establish the facts and deliver justice for the victim and her family.
