Three persons, including the mother of a minor girl, have been arrested in connection with her murder in the Vishnugarh area of the Hazaribagh district, with police saying that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe has pointed to superstition as a possible motive.
The incident took place in Kusumba village on 24 March and was initially treated as a case under suspicious circumstances.
However, as the investigation progressed, the police said evidence began to suggest the alleged involvement of the victim’s mother, Reshmi Devi, along with Bhim Ram and Shanti Devi alias Bhagatini.
Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan said the three were arrested after questioning and examination of evidence collected during the probe.
He said the investigation had indicated a possible link between the killing and superstition.
The post-mortem examination, he added, ruled out sexual assault.
Police said the case took a new direction after investigators found inconsistencies in the initial account and widened the scope of inquiry to include persons close to the child.
Officials said further legal proceedings were under way, while police added that steps would be taken to ensure a speedy trial.
The case has also drawn attention to the continuing hold of blind faith in vulnerable rural settings, where fear, illness and social distress can sometimes assume dangerous forms.