Ranchi, Dec 9 (IANS): A day after Jharkhand police chief Anurag Gupta held a meeting with officials to ramp up law and order, two horrific incidents of child murders within 24 hours rocked the state, with relatives accused in both cases, police officials said on Monday.

In the first incident, eight-year-old Prem Kumar was strangled to death in Saltua village under Chainpur police station limit of Palamu district. The accused, Sunita Devi, reportedly murdered her husband’s cousin’s son out of superstition.

According to Chainpur police station in-charge Shriram Sharma, Sunita’s six-month-old son had died on November 28. “Believing that her child’s death was caused by witchcraft performed by her cousin, she lured Prem to a farm field on Sunday. When the boy did not return home, villagers reported seeing him last with Sunita. Upon interrogation, she confessed to the crime, and the child’s body was recovered from a pigeon pea field on Monday. Sunita Devi has since been arrested,” Sharma said.

The child’s dead body has been sent for a post-mortem examination.

The second gruesome incident took place in Kothi village under Narayanpur police station area of Bokaro district. Six-year-old David Raj was brutally murdered with a spade on Sunday evening. His mother, Rukwa Devi, lodged a complaint accusing her brother-in-law, Janaki Mahato, of the crime.

Police station in-charge Ghanshyam Ravi stated that David had gone to the barn to feed the cows but never returned. “His body was later found near the barn, with the murder weapon -- a blood-stained spade -- lying nearby,” Ravi said.

The police have detained Janaki Mahato for questioning and sent the child’s body for a post-mortem examination.

David Raj was the only son of Rukwa Devi. The family is now left with two daughters.

Both incidents have shocked the state, highlighting the need for increased awareness against superstitions and strict measures to prevent such heinous crimes.