Daijiworld Media Network - Palamu
Palamu, Oct 21: A 61-year-old man was allegedly hacked to death with a sharp-edged weapon over suspicions of practising witchcraft in Jharkhand’s Palamu district on Wednesday morning, police said.
The incident took place in Mangaradeeh village under Shahpur panchayat in Naudiha Bazar block. The deceased was identified as Sitaram, a resident of the village.
According to preliminary information, Vivek Kumar, 30, who also belongs to the village, had been ill for nearly 10 days and was undergoing treatment. His family allegedly suspected that Sitaram had practised witchcraft or used occult methods against him.
The suspicion reportedly triggered tension between the two families. On Wednesday morning, an argument broke out over the dispute, during which Sitaram was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon. He sustained serious injuries and died.
Following information about the incident, police reached the village and launched an investigation. Chhatarpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Prashant Kumar also visited the spot, inspected the scene and collected details from the police personnel involved in the initial inquiry.
The police took custody of the body and sent it to a hospital for postmortem examination after completing the necessary legal formalities.
Investigators are questioning the deceased’s family members, neighbours and other people connected with the incident. Police have not yet established the identity of the person or persons responsible for the killing or determined how many people were involved.
“We are investigating the role of every person connected with the incident. Whether any member of Vivek Kumar’s family was involved will become clear only after the inquiry is completed,” SDPO Prashant Kumar said.
Police are examining all possible angles and working to identify the suspects. Further action will be taken based on the evidence gathered during the investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate stabbing incident in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur, a man identified as Shekhar Tirkey was killed and three others were injured in a knife attack following a dispute over an order for a vegetable roll at a fast-food stall in Adityapur.
The incident occurred around 1 am at Khau Gali, in front of the AIDA Gate. Police have detained three youths, including the stall operator, in connection with the incident.