Three found dead at farmhouse in Chhattisgarh; occult ritual under lens

Korba, Dec 11 (PTI) Three men, including a scrap dealer, have been found dead under mysterious circumstances at a farmhouse in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, with police suspecting the deaths may be linked to an occult ritual promising to multiply money.

Four suspects, including a 'tantrik', have been detained in this connection, police said on Thursday.

Family members of the victims have alleged foul play, claiming the bodies bore multiple injuries and scratch marks, indicating possible assault or forceful restraint.

The bodies of scrap dealer Mohammad Ashraf Memon, Suresh Sahu, natives of Korba, and Nitish Kumar of Durg, all aged between 40 and 45, were found at Memon's farmhouse in Kudri village under Urga police station limits, a police official said.

Prima facie, it seems they were strangled to death, he said, adding the post-mortem would reveal the exact cause of the death.

Preliminary investigation, ritual materials and cash recovered from the spot suggest the incident is linked to some occult ritual with a promise of multiplying the money.

The four suspects had arrived from Bilaspur for allegedly performing the ritual, during which the three persons died, the official said.

Four persons have been detained and a detailed investigation into the incident is underway, Korba Superintendent of Police Siddharth Tiwari said. PTI COR TKP GK