A young boy in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a villager amid a land dispute with his family and suspicions that they were practising witchcraft.
The victim, Kevalji Thakor, went missing on Sunday. According to preliminary information, the accused, Savanji Thakor, had been pressuring the boy's father, Arvindji Thakor, to sell a plot of land in the village, leading to frequent disputes between the two sides. He also believed that the family was practising witchcraft against his household.
According to the information, Savanji Thakor kidnapped the child and threw his body into a nearby well. The body was recovered the following day. Upon being taken into custody by the police, the suspect broke down and confessed to committing the crime. Cops immediately launched formal proceedings to process the suspect for remand and further legal action.
The case has also raised questions about the death of the victim's elder brother, Amitji Thakor, whose body was found in the Debhol River a year ago. The death was treated as an accident at the time. However, in light of recent events, investigators now suspect that the elder brother may have also fallen victim to the same individual.
Police officials have now intensified their investigation to determine whether Savanji was responsible for both deaths or if his involvement was limited to the recent murder.
Further details are awaited.
