UP: Man bludgeoned to death by cousin on suspicion of doing occult practice

During interrogation, the accused, Mahendra, told the police that Indrajit used to do occult practices and was planning to kill him.

Bhadohi: A 62-year-old man was bludgeoned to death allegedly by his cousin on suspicion of doing occult practice to kill him, police said on Sunday.

The incident happened in Bharhki village on Saturday afternoon. Indrajit Pathak, who is physically challenged, was taking a bath near a hand pump outside his house when his cousin Mahendra Nath Pathak (54) came there and attacked him with a thick wooden block, they said.

Due to the repeated attack, Indrajit fell to the ground and started bleeding profusely. Hearing the commotion, the victim's daughter Aanchal, who is also physically challenged, came outside but her uncle fled, police said.

Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Katyayan said the villagers and police rushed Indrajit to the district hospital. On Sunday, he was referred to a trauma centre in Varanasi, where he died.

During interrogation, Mahendra told the police that Indrajit used to do occult practices and was planning to kill him, she said.

The accused claimed about 14 years ago Indrajit performed some ‘tantra’ on his son due to which he died. Mahendra asked his cousin to stop practising the occult but he did not agree so he killed him, the SP said.

Based on Aanchal’s complaint, a case under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC has been registered and Mahendra was arrested, police said.