In Bharhki village on Saturday afternoon as a 62-year-old man, identified as Indrajit Pathak, was brutally bludgeoned to death by his cousin, Mahendra Nath Pathak (54), over suspicions of practicing occult rituals that he allegedly claimed were aimed at harming him, according to police reports on Sunday.
Mahendra Nath, reportedly, attacked Indrajit, who was physically challenged, while the he was taking a bath near a hand pump outside his residence. Mahendra reportedly approached him and viciously assaulted him with a thick wooden block, causing severe injuries.
Witnessing the gruesome attack, Indrajit’s daughter Aanchal, also physically challenged, had rushed outside. However, Mahendra had fled the scene before her arrival, leaving behind a critically injured Indrajit who was bleeding profusely on the ground.
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Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Katyayan revealed that the local villagers and the law enforcement immediately responded to the distress call and transported Indrajit to the district hospital. Due to the seriousness of his injuries, he was subsequently referred to a trauma center in Varanasi, where he succumbed to his wounds on Sunday.
During police interrogation, Mahendra admitted to assaulting the deceased because he believed that his cousin was engaging in occult practices and intended to harm him. Mahendra also claimed that around 14 years ago, Indrajit performed occult practices which led to the death of his son. According to the police reports, Mahendra had been warning Indrajit to cease his alleged activities, however, the accused claimed that Indrajit continued to indulge in occult practices which prompted him to take such violent action.
Following a formal complaint lodged by Aanchal, the police has registered a case against Mahendra under IPC 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 Indian Penal Code. Mahendra has been zrrested by the police for further probe into this matter that has rocked the community of Bharhki village in Uttar Pradesh.
