Superstition Claims Life of 8-Year-Old in Palamu, Aunt Arrested

Woman Murders Nephew Over Alleged Witchcraft in Chainpur, Palamu

Key Points:

• 8-year-old boy killed by his aunt in Palamu’s Chainpur area.
• Accused believed her son died due to witchcraft by the boy’s mother.
• Police arrested the woman and recovered the child’s body.

MEDININAGAR – In a shocking incident driven by deep-rooted superstition, an 8-year-old boy was killed by his aunt in Palamu district’s Chainpur area. The accused, identified as Sunita Devi, strangled her nephew Prem Kumar Singh in an arhar (pigeon pea) field, believing witchcraft caused her own son’s death.

Root of the Crime

According to police, Sunita Devi’s 6-month-old son had died on November 28. Unable to cope with the loss, she suspected that her co-sister practiced black magic, leading to her child’s death. On Sunday, Sunita took her co-sister’s son, Prem Kumar Singh, to a nearby field under the pretext of a walk. There, she strangled him to death.

Discovery and Arrest

When Prem did not return home, his family began searching for him and eventually filed a missing complaint at Chainpur police station. During the investigation, locals informed police that the boy was last seen with Sunita Devi. Upon interrogation, Sunita confessed to the murder. Based on her statement, police recovered the boy’s body from the field.

Chainpur Police Station in-charge Shriram Sharma confirmed the arrest of Sunita Devi and stated that the body has been sent to Medinirai Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. He added that further investigations are underway.

This incident highlights the deep roots of superstition in the region, with several such cases reported in Palamu over the last two months.