RAIPUR: In a bizarre incident and suspected to be murder, two brothers were found dead and four of the same tribal family were hospitalized in unconscious state, apparently due to prolonged fasting and continuous chants as part of some ‘tantric’ rituals they were performing, in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh.
Neighbours had not seen any of the family members for the past few days and could hear sounds of chanting from inside the house.They informed police, when the sound of chants weakened, they tried to peep through the window and saw them sitting arond two bodies. None of those surviving, are in a conscious state to give a statement.
According to initial autopsy report, there were poisonous substance found inside the bodies of deceased.
Speaking to TOI, Sakti SP Ankita Sharma said that the family of six members including mother Pirit Bai, 70, her daughters Chandrika Sidar, 27, Amrica, 25, and sons Visha, 18, Vikram, 21 and Vicky, 19 were reportedly on a prolonged fast and were performing a ritual inside their house in Baradwar region of Tanduldih village.
It is reported that for the past seven days, the family was chanting and screaming in brief intervals and had not stepped out of their home.
When neighbours felt that the sound of their chants was weakening, out of curiosity, they peeped in and saw that the members were sitting in front of a photograph of a Godman and worshipping. Right in front were the bodies of two brothers Vicky and Vikram.
Neighbours then informed the police and a team reached the spot to investigate the matter. The bodies of two men were taken to hospital where their death was confirmed by doctors. The other family members who seemed to be high on trance were mumbling continuously and then fell unconscious.
SP said that they were all admitted at hospital. SP Sharma said that as per preliminary information, the Godman they were trying to please, belongs to Ujjain in MP.
The two sisters were able to speak somehow and they mumbled that something ‘black’ had entered their house and then inside their body that had possessed them. It’s not clear if the deceased had eaten poisonous substance or they were made to consume it, SP said, adding that we cannot rely on what the patients are saying as they are not completely in a conscious state of mind.
Police said that the mental state of family members was being checked as the neighbours said, they were behaving awkwardly off late. Police have seized a huge quantity of havan material from their house.
