12-year-boy killed in broad daylight, accused’s wife celebrates

By Sumesh Rajan | May 22, 2025

Chaibasa, Jharkhand, INDIA: A 12-year-old boy was brutally murdered in broad daylight in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Thursday, May 22, in what police have described as a case of personal enmity. The victim, identified as Arjun Bansingh, was attacked with a knife, his throat slit near a mango tree close to his home in Jugidaru village.

 

The incident occurred around 3:00 pm local time. According to police, the accused, Chandra Mohan Bansingh—who is reportedly related to the victim’s family—also attempted to assault the victim’s younger sister, who narrowly escaped and alerted her mother. The child’s body was later recovered by local police and sent for post-mortem examination at the Sadar Hospital.

 

The boy, a seventh-grade student at a school in Kabragutu, had gone to collect fallen mangoes with his sister when the attack occurred.

 

Family members of the victim allege that a long-standing land dispute may have motivated the killing. The victim’s father, Sikur Bansingh, claimed that the accused’s wife had previously accused his wife of witchcraft, further deepening tensions between the families. The two households are located opposite each other in the same village.

 

In a disturbing aftermath to the incident, the accused’s wife was seen dancing near the victim’s home, reportedly wielding a weapon and intimidating villagers. According to witnesses, she roamed the area for several hours, preventing anyone from approaching her due to the visible threat she posed. Police later detained the accused, though reports on action taken against the wife are still pending.

 

Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the murder, with preliminary findings suggesting a history of hostility between the families.