In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves across Jharkhand, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly murdered as part of a "human sacrifice" ritual in Kusumbha village in Hazaribagh district of the state.
Local authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the victim's mother herself conspired with an occult practitioner to carry out the gruesome act.
The investigation, led by Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan and DIG Anjani Jha, revealed a dark tale of superstition. The victim’s mother, 35-year-old Reshmi Devi, had reportedly been consulting a 55-year-old ‘tantrik’ named Shanti Devi for years to seek a cure for her son’s ailments.
According to police, the occultist convinced Reshmi that sacrificing a "pure" soul was the only way to resolve her family's domestic and medical troubles. On the night of March 24, amid the village’s Ram Navami celebrations, the young girl was lured to the practitioner's home.
The details released by investigators paint a harrowing picture of the girl's final moments. After undergoing prayers and consuming prasad, the girl was taken to a secluded area.
Also read: Three of family killed over suspicion of witchcraft in Jharkhand
According to police, the mother allegedly held the child’s legs to prevent her from resisting, an accomplice named Bhim Ram, 40, strangled her. To complete the ritual, the accused allegedly struck the child's head with a stone to collect blood before hiding her body in nearby bushes.
While the suspects initially attempted to frame the incident as a sexual assault to mislead the police, forensic reports and post-mortem results quickly debunked the claim, leading detectives straight back to the family and the practitioner.
The brutality of the crime has sparked a national outcry and significant political unrest. The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter, demanding immediate reports from the state administration and the Director General of Police.
Additionally, the National Commission for Women has labelled the incident "deeply disturbing" and dispatched a three-member inquiry committee to the site.
Local residents have staged protests demanding the harshest possible punishment for the perpetrators, and the opposition BJP observed a 12-hour bandh in Hazaribagh.
All three suspects—Reshmi Devi, Shanti Devi, and Bhim Ram, who reportedly has a prior criminal record—are currently in judicial custody as the investigation continues.
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