Jashpur Police: Four Arrested, Two Absconding in Witchcraft-Related Assault Case

Jashpur, July 31, 2025 – Four individuals, including two women, have been arrested in connection with a violent assault stemming from suspicions of witchcraft in Lakramura village, under the Kotba police outpost. Two other accused remain at large, and police are actively searching for them.The incident was reported on July 29, 2025, by Om Prakash Soni, 35, a resident of Lakramura. According to Soni’s complaint, on the evening of July 26, 2025, around 8:00 PM, his neighbor, Balichandra Dahre, began verbally abusing him in his courtyard, accusing him of practicing witchcraft and being responsible for his child’s death.

When Soni tried to stop him, Dahre became more enraged, threatening to kill him and dispose of his body.Around 8:30 PM the same evening, while Soni was having dinner with his family, Balichandra Dahre, along with his family members — Suraj Dahre, Madhuri Dahre, Sadanand Dahre, Shanti Dahre, and Sudarshan Dahre — forcibly entered Soni’s house.

They dragged him outside into the courtyard and attacked him with a small axe and bricks, causing injuries to Soni’s eye and the back of his head. During the assault, Soni’s parents were also attacked; his father sustained a severe head injury, and his mother suffered injuries to her face and hand. Both parents have been referred to Ambikapur Hospital for treatment.Police Action and ArrestsBased on Om Prakash Soni’s report, a case was registered at Kotba Police Outpost under sections 296, 351(3), 115(2), 190, 191 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 05 of the Chhattisgarh Tonhi Pratadna Nivaran Adhiniyam (Prevention of Witchcraft Practices Act), 2005.The police acted swiftly, taking four of the accused into custody: * Balichandra Dahre * Sudarshan Dahre * Madhuri Dahre * Shanti Bai DahreAll arrested individuals are residents of Lakramura village, Kotba Outpost, Jashpur District (C.G.).

The two absconding accused are currently being searched for and will be arrested soon.During interrogation, all four arrested individuals confessed to the crime. With sufficient evidence found against them, they were formally arrested and sent to judicial remand.Police Appeal to Public Senior Superintendent of Police, Jashpur, Shashi Mohan Singh, stated that four accused, including two women, have been arrested in connection with the witchcraft-related harassment case in the Kotba outpost area. He further appealed to citizens, emphasizing that witchcraft is a superstition. He urged them to educate themselves and their families to avoid such beliefs.The police team involved in the arrest and investigation included Kotba Outpost In-charge Sub-Inspector Rakesh Kumar Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Aplejar Khes, Constables Boota Singh, Pawan Painkra, Sushil Tirki, and Woman Constable Tulsi Kosle.