Eight remanded to police custody

NASHIK: Eight persons arrested by Nashik rural police in the case of a woman and her relative being killed allegedly by her two sons at the behest of a woman tantrik were on Wednesday remanded in police custody till January 5 and two others till January 2.
"The case of an elderly woman and her relative being killed by her two sons was unearthed by a local activist, Bhagwan Madhe, on Sunday.The police swung into action on Monday and arrested 10 persons on Tuesday. They were presented in a local court in Igatpuri, which sent the accused to police custody till January 5," an official from the Ghoti police station said.
The court ordered police custody of Govind Dore (28), Kashinath Dore (31), the sons of deceased Budhibai Dore, Hari (35), Kisan (39) and Lakshman (30) Nirgude, Narayan Khadke (32), Waman Nirgude (40) and Mahadu Veer till January 5.
The suspected lady tantrik Bacchibai Naryan Khadke (42) from Takay Harsh village and her assistant Bugabai Mahadu Veer (35) from Mokhada were remanded in the police custody till January 2.
It was on Sunday evening that Bhagwan Madhe, a representative of social organisation of Shramjeevi Sanghatana, informed the rural police about the killing of two women - Budhibai Dore and Kashibai Veer by sons of Budhibai (Govind and Kashinath) after their sister Rahibai Pingle spelt out the injustice to Madhe.
According to police, the two brothers were in search of peace and luck. They came in contact with Bacchibai Khadke, who claimed that their mother, Budhibai, was possessed by some evil forces and they needed to exorcise the ghost.
Accordingly, the two brothers brought their mother, Kashibai Veer along with their sister Rahibai Pingle, residents of Mokhada, to the home of the tantrik at Takay Harsh, near Ghoti - around Diwali. There the lady tantric treated all the women cruelly. While Rahibai Pingle fell unconscious, the other two women died and their bodies were buried in the farm near the house of the tantric.
"Rahibai Pingle, who escaped the scene, went to Mokhada barefoot and hid there. We got to know about the issue and hence asked our volunteers to secretly inquire about the incident. We also first confirmed that the bodies were buried in the farm and then informed police," Madhe said.
He said further investigations were likely to reveal few more such cases and that the police also need to protect the complainant who was weary of registering her complaint with the police station. "We want the protection of Rahibai, who may be subjected to social, economical pressures and even threatened of dire consequences," teh activist said.