Overview

• Manoj Kumar and self-styled tantrik Sunil Kumar are both in custody after confessing to the ritual killing of five-year-old Lokesh in Khairthal district.
• Police recovered a syringe, blood and tissue samples, and village CCTV recordings that tied the accused to the July 19 murder plotted under the guise of buying candy.
• Manoj admitted strangling his nephew on the tantric’s advice to compel his estranged wife to return, and Sunil is charged with guiding the blood-magic ritual.
• Forensic teams have sealed the crime scene and are analyzing technical evidence to construct a full timeline and probe links to other occult-related abuses.
• Authorities say the case highlights the persistence of superstition-driven violence and underscores the need for sustained law-enforcement vigilance and community outreach.