Woman kills stepchildren to avenge ‘black magic’ she accused their mother of

A 30-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday for allegedly poisoning her stepson and stepdaughter aged seven and 11 to death before slitting their throats in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district, said police

Published on: Oct 1, 2021, 09:28:34 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A 30-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday for allegedly poisoning her stepson and stepdaughter aged seven and 11 to death before slitting their throats in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district, said police. The accused, Jyoti, allegedly killed the two to avenge the black magic she suspected their biological mother of subjecting her to.

Image for representation. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police superintendent Aman Singh Rathore said that Jyoti married Arvind Mahor a year ago after the father of the two separated from his first wife. “Jyoti got pregnant two months ago but suffered a miscarriage. Jyoti blamed Arvind’s first wife for performing black magic.” He added to avenge this, Jyoti poisoned the kids by mixing poison in their food. “Later, she slit the throat, wrist, and other body parts of the girl and also the private part of the boy with a vegetable knife.” During interrogation, Jyoti confessed the crime. She has been booked for murder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More