70-year-old murdered in Chhattisgarh for refusing to part with ‘magical’ stone

Police superintendent Vijay Agarwal said Babulal Yadav claimed to have the stone, which could turn any stone into gold and also search for buried gold

Published on: Jul 13, 2022, 09:56:47 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A 70-year-old man was allegedly murdered in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district after he refused to part with “a magical” stone he claimed to possess, police said.

Police said they have arrested the 10 accused. (HT PHOTO)

Police superintendent Vijay Agarwal said Babulal Yadav claimed to have the magical stone, which could turn any stone into gold and also search for buried gold. “On July 8, 10 people, including a woman, took him away from his home to the nearby jungle and tied him with a rope and asked him about the stone but he refused to provide details. Subsequently, five of the accused went to his home in search of the stone. The accused even dug up a room...”

He added the accused also thrashed Yadav’s wife and looted jewellery and cash before returning to the jungle. “The accused again beat Yadav and then killed him and buried his body in the jungle.”

Agarwal said two of the accused, Tekchandra Jaiswal and Rajesh Harvansh, were detained on Sunday. “They misled the police first but on Monday confessed to having killed Yadav along with the other accused.”

Police said they have arrested all the 10 accused and exhumed Yadav’s body for post-mortem. “ The accused confessed that they killed Yadav because they wanted the magical stone. We have also recovered jewellery and cash looted from Yadav’s home from the accused,” said Agarwal. He added further probe into the case was going on.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

Check India news real-time updates, latest news on Hindustan Times and more across India.