Police in Madhya Pradesh say a 25-year-old intruder was beaten to death by villagers after allegedly beheading a five-year-old boy in front of his mother.
Authorities in India’s Madhya Pradesh state are investigating the horrific killing of a five-year-old boy who was allegedly beheaded by an intruder inside the family’s home. Local media identified the child as Vikesh, who had been playing outside in Ali village when 25-year-old Mahesh reportedly arrived on a motorbike on Sunday. According to NDTV, Mahesh grabbed a sharp spade found in the house and attacked the boy, severing his neck, while the child’s mother tried in vain to save him and suffered injuries herself.
Dhar Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi said, “The actual cause of death will only be known after a post-mortem,” noting that Mahesh died from injuries inflicted by villagers who caught and beat him after hearing the mother’s screams. Investigators said Mahesh had been missing from his own home in Jobat Bagdi for four days and had no known connection to the family. A post-mortem will determine the boy’s cause of death, and police have opened a case while continuing their inquiry.