Mastermind Son Rakesh Munda and Mother Rita Devi Still Absconding; Three Accomplices Arrested
Key Points:
- Guddu Munda killed on March 30 after son Rakesh saw him with his mother Rita Devi
- Body buried in Mandhania-Hahe forest; skeletal remains recovered after nearly 50 days
- Three accomplices Mahesh Ganjhu, Nitesh Kumar, Kamlesh Kumar arrested; Rakesh still at large
CHATRA — A chilling murder case has emerged from Lawalong in Chatra district, where a son conspired with friends to kill his mother’s lover after discovering the two together in a compromising situation. Simariya SDPO Nagargoje Shubham Bhau Sahab has cracked the case, which dates back to March 30.
The victim, Guddu Munda, had been in a relationship with Rita Devi, a woman from the same village. Her son Rakesh Munda discovered the two together, and the incident triggered a murderous plan in his mind.
On March 30, when Guddu was travelling by bus from Lawalong towards Panki, Rakesh and his associates forcibly pulled him off the bus near Mandhania valley. The accused first beat Guddu with extreme brutality. They then dragged him into the dense forests of Mandhania-Hahe and killed him. To conceal the crime, the body was buried at the spot itself.
Nearly one and a half months passed before any formal complaint was made. On May 15, the victim’s father Santosh Munda filed a kidnapping application. On the directions of SP Animesh Naithanee, a special investigation team was immediately constituted.
Using technical evidence and sustained interrogation, police identified and arrested three co-accused — Mahesh Ganjhu, Nitesh Kumar, and Kamlesh Kumar. On their indication, the buried body was recovered from the forest. By the time of recovery, the remains had decomposed into a skeleton.
However, the most alarming aspect of the case is that the mastermind, Rakesh Munda, and his mother Rita Devi are still evading arrest. Police are conducting raids to trace the two absconding accused.
The case has drawn significant attention given its disturbing nature. A similar incident of murder followed by concealment of the body had earlier been reported from another part of Jharkhand. Investigators say that the lengthy gap between the murder and the filing of the complaint made the recovery of the remains significantly more challenging.
