Daijiworld Media Network - Singrauli

Singrauli, Feb 12: In a shocking incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district, a man allegedly murdered two of his neighbours, blaming them for practising witchcraft after his wife suffered a miscarriage. The incident took place in the remote Antarwa village under the Jeyawan police station.

The accused, identified as Chhatrapati Singh, a tribal resident, reportedly believed that his inability to father a child was caused by his neighbours’ supposed supernatural practices. On Thursday, he organised a prayer ceremony at his home and invited his neighbours, Kewal Singh and his wife Phulmati, under the pretext of a religious ritual.

Police said that as soon as Kewal and Phulmati arrived, Chhatrapati attacked them with an axe. Neighbours who tried to intervene were also assaulted, after which the accused locked himself inside a room. Both Kewal and Phulmati died in the attack.

Singrauli Superintendent of Police Manish Khatri said that materials used for the puja were found at the scene, indicating that the crime was linked to Chhatrapati’s belief in witchcraft. A mud platform, or ‘chabutara’, built outside his house two days earlier, was reportedly prepared for the ritual.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that the murders were motivated by faith in witchcraft, but the attack appears to have been planned,” SP Khatri stated. Police have arrested Chhatrapati Singh and are conducting a thorough investigation, with a forensic team collecting evidence from the crime scene.

The tragedy highlights the deadly consequences of superstition and misplaced beliefs, as authorities work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack.