RANCHI: In a horrifying incident, a seven-year-old boy, Vishnu Munda, was brutally murdered by two culprits on January 23, 2026, suspecting that the boy's mother was involved in witchcraft.
According to police, the child was targeted by 55-year-old Raghu Munda and 25-year-old Jagarnath Munda, alias Jagra Munda, as an act of revenge based on the suspicion that his mother killed Raghu Munda's grandson through black magic.
Police have arrested Raghu Munda and Jagarnath Munda.
According to the police, Raghu Munda, a resident of Bimdih village under Laandup Panchayat, suspected that his grandson, who died a few days ago due to illness, was killed through black magic practised by Laxman Munda’s wife.
Driven by this superstition and a desire for revenge, Raghu Munda, along with Jagarnath Munda, targeted Laxman Munda's seven-year-old son, Vishnu Munda.
“The two accused lured the child away on the pretext of giving him chocolate and then brutally murdered him by repeatedly striking him with the handle of a hoe,” said the police official.
After the child's body was found, a case was registered at the Maranghada police station based on the statement of the father, Laxman Munda.
Following an investigation conducted by the officer in charge of Maraghada Police Station, Vikas Kumar Jaiswal, a few suspects were taken into custody, which led to the unravelling of the murder plot.
During questioning, both accused confessed to their crime.
Jaiswal informed that a case was registered on January 23 at the Maranghada police station, case number 02/2026, under sections 103(1), 238(A) of the BNS 2023 and sections 3/4 of the Witchcraft Prevention Act.
“The hoe used in the murder has been recovered based on the information provided by the accused. Blood-stained soil, leaves, and a pair of the deceased's slippers were also seized from the crime scene,” said the officer in charge.