India | Man sentenced to death for killing cousin in superstition-driven sacrifice

Uttar Pradesh: Man sentenced to death for killing cousin in superstition-driven sacrifice

According to local sources, the convict murdered his 10-year-old cousin believing that a human sacrifice would cure his ailing son.

A local court in Bahraich has awarded the death penalty to a man for sacrificing a 10-year-old child in a superstitious ritual. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict.

Meanwhile, 2 other accused in the case, including a tantric (exorcist), were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sunil Prasad pronounced the sentence, stating that the guilty should be hanged till death.

According to local sources, the convict murdered his 10-year-old cousin believing that a human sacrifice would cure his ailing son. The accused later confessed to the crime following his arrest. The incident took place in the Nanpara Kotwali area of Bahraich district.

Prosecution lawyer Sunil Kumar Jaiswal demanded the harshest punishment, citing the brutality and seriousness of the crime.

The incident dates back to March 23, 2023, when the mutilated body of Vivek Verma, the 10-year-old son of Ram Kishun, was found in a field in Agaiya village of Bahraich district in central Uttar Pradesh.

At the time of the incident, Vivek’s father had gone to attend a family function. Upon receiving information about his son’s murder, he rushed back to the village.

Based on Ram Kishun’s complaint, the police registered a case under sections related to murder and criminal conspiracy. Initially, no accused were named.

During the course of investigation, the police arrested Vivek’s cousin Anoop Kumar Verma, village resident Chintaram, and a tantric named Jangli from Benchaipurwa village.

During interrogation, Anoop Kumar Verma revealed that his son, Satyam, frequently fell ill. A tantric had allegedly advised him to sacrifice a child from his own family to cure his son. Acting on this belief, Anoop called his cousin Vivek to a field on the pretext of watering crops and murdered him with a sharp-edged weapon.

After completing the investigation, the police filed a chargesheet in court.

ADGC (Criminal) Sunil Kumar Jaiswal stated that Chintaram and the tantric Jangli were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. On Friday, the court heard arguments on sentencing. The prosecution again pressed for strict punishment, highlighting the cruelty of the act.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court found Anoop Kumar Verma guilty and sentenced him to death. A fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed.

Source: newindianexpress.com, Staff, January 9, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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