5-Year-Old Girl Murdered in Kasayale Tisk, Usgao by Couple Seeking Baby Through Black Magic

SANTOSH NAIK

PONDA: A tragic and shocking incident unfolded in Kasayale Tisk, Usgao, after a childless couple allegedly murdered a five-year-old girl from their neighbourhood in a bid to conceive a baby, driven by their belief in black magic. The body of the child was recovered from the accused neighbour’s backyard at around 11 pm, on Thursday. Further charges are expected to be filed.

The couple, identified as Babasaheb Alat (52) and his wife Pooja, residents of Usgao but originally from Miraj, Maharashtra, are accused of kidnapping the young girl, murdering her, and then burying her body.

According to Ponda Deputy Superintendent of Police (DYSP) Shivram Vajgankar, the incident was reported on Wednesday when the mother of two young daughters, aged two and five, noticed that her elder daughter had gone missing from their home in the evening. The Ponda Police quickly registered a case of kidnapping and began an investigation.

The police spoke with neighbours to gather

information.

Initially, when the police arrived at the scene, the accused couple, along with locals, assisted in searching for the missing girl. However, upon returning to the site the following morning, police grew suspicious of the couple’s behaviour, which seemed erratic and nervous. When they were grilled, the couple confessed to having murdered the child, believing that the sacrifice would help the wife conceive.

The couple, who have been married for 25 years but remained childless, reportedly acted on the advice of an alleged witch doctor, who reportedly told them that sacrificing the girl would grant the wife the ability to conceive.

The local Sarpanch of Usgao-Ganjem, Ramanth Dangui, condemned the horrific act, emphasising the importance of rejecting such superstitions in today’s world of science and reason.

It is understood that the mother of the victim, a Goan woman, was staying with her own mother in Kasayale, Tisk after a period of marital conflict with her husband, who is based in Ratnagiri. The victim’s grandmother was also caring for the two children during this time. The accused couple, who lived just 25 meters from the victim’s house, were reportedly involved in construction work.