In a chilling case that has stunned Balangir district in Odisha, police have unravelled a gruesome human sacrifice. Satrughan Sahu of Bagadagaon under Deogaon police station allegedly beheaded Santosh Kharsel and offered his blood to a goddess, believing the ritual would bring his wife back home after she left him eight years ago.
The headless body of Santosh was discovered floating in a village pond on Thursday. Local residents alerted police, who recovered the body with the help of the fire service, dog squad and scientific team. Following leads from villagers, officers questioned Satrughan. Under intensive interrogation lasting about 10 hours — personally overseen by SP Abhilash G and the SDPO — the accused confessed.
According to police, Satrughan’s wife had left for her parental home eight years earlier. The separation left him under severe mental stress. He performed various rituals, including worship of a copper Nagaraja Mahadev idol at home and Chandi puja. He told investigators he decided Santosh would be the human sacrifice needed to please the deity and reunite with his wife.
The two men had no prior relationship. They met by chance on the road, drank together, and Satrughan brought Santosh home. After feeding him and putting him to sleep, Satrughan allegedly seized the opportunity at night, used a sharp knife to sever the head, offered the blood in ritual worship, and buried the severed head in a pit inside his house. The headless torso was later dumped in the pond.
Police recovered the blood-stained knife, the clothes Satrughan was wearing, the severed head, and the body. A case (No. 161/2026 under Sections 103(1)/238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) has been registered at Deogaon police station. Investigation is being supervised by SDPO Saroj Upadhyay, with IIC Sabita Themria leading the probe. Satrughan has been arrested and produced in court.
SP Abhilash G briefed the media at a press conference held at police headquarters around 6 pm, confirming the confession and the recovery of evidence. Officers expressed shock at the accused’s detailed account of the ritual killing.
The incident has revived painful memories of earlier child-sacrifice cases in Balangir district. In one previous episode under Sindhekela police station, a man named Sobhaban Rana was jailed for sacrificing two children on separate occasions, but later escaped from Titlagarh jail and remains absconding. Another case involved the recovery of a child’s body from the Songarh River under Deogaon, also suspected to be a sacrificial killing.
In an age of AI and Gen Z, the persistence of such superstition-driven violence in parts of the district has left many residents and officials deeply disturbed.
Police continue to investigate whether anyone else was involved and are examining the full circumstances of the crime.
