Palamu district in Jharkhand woke up to a horrifying crime on Wednesday when villagers stumbled upon the mutilated body of 70-year-old Rajdev Mahto in Kusumtar jungle. The retired farmer from Kazi Pakri village in Arka panchayat had been reported missing since a local funeral feast on February 27.
According to relatives, Mahto participated in the shraddh bhog where he indulged in liquor. His spouse Dulari Devi headed home alone, expecting him to return later. When he didn’t show up, the family launched searches across the village but found nothing until the stench from the jungle alerted residents days later.
A crowd gathered at the site, revealing the victim’s throat slashed multiple times alongside facial injuries from a bladed weapon. Law enforcement arrived promptly, took possession of the remains, and verified identity with grieving kin. Postmortem procedures confirmed the violent nature of the attack.
An FIR against unidentified persons was filed following Dulari Devi’s complaint. Police are probing multiple angles, including potential enmities or robbery motives, conducting door-to-door inquiries, and forensic analysis of the site. The officer in charge emphasized a swift resolution, deploying additional resources amid rising community tensions.
This brutal slaying has heightened security concerns in rural Palamu, with villagers demanding round-the-clock patrols. As the investigation intensifies, hopes remain high for cracking the case and restoring peace to the shaken locality.