Madhya Pradesh couple killed on suspicion of black magic

The couple was found dead on September 23 at their home in Papariya Khurd village. Police got information in the evening on September 24 after their son came back home from a family function

Updated on: Sep 29, 2021, 13:57:20 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A couple’s neighbours last week allegedly hacked them to death after accusing them of practising black magic in Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad district. Police said the main accused, Karan Singh and Anand Singh, lost their parents after illness and three members of their family are seriously ill. They suspected the couple, Pannalal Kalme, 62, and Kasturibai, 55, of practising black magic and blamed it for the deaths of their parents and illness of relatives, said Gurukaran Singh, superintendent of police, Hoshangabad.

The couple were killed on suspicion that they practised black magic in Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad district (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The two accused were arrested on Tuesday along with their uncle and cousins for allegedly killing the couple.

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“The couple was found dead on September 23 at their home in Papariya Khurd village. ...police got information in the evening on September 24 after their son came back home from a family function. During the investigation, all the villagers were talking against the couple and were not willing to share any information...,” said Gurukaran Singh. He said the son suspected the role of Karan and Anand.

The two were arrested and confessed to killing the couple while blaming them for black magic.

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

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