Police in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, have arrested a man for allegedly conducting an occult ritual aimed at securing bail for a relative by using the photograph of the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Ramesh Sinha.
According to officials, four people were seen performing a suspicious ritual late at night at a cremation ground in the Devari area of Bilaspur district. Locals who noticed the activity confronted the group, after which three of them fled.
The man who was caught, identified as Rishikesh Kumar, was handed over to the police. During inspection of the spot, police seized photographs and items used in the ritual, including fish, lemons and kumkum.
District Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh said the accused told investigators that his relative Priyanshu Pole and others had been arrested in a stabbing case. While one accused had obtained bail, the remaining bail petitions were pending in court, and the group allegedly acted after hearing advice from a self-styled occult practitioner on social media.
Police said the seized photos included one of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha, one of the jailed accused Priyanshu Pole, and one of the stabbing victim. A search is on to trace the three others who escaped.
