In a breakthrough, Sitapur police claimed to have solved the sensational murder of a self-styled occultist popularly known as 'Pardesi Baba' with the arrest of the main accused. The suspect allegedly killed the occult practitioner believing that the latter had kept his mother under his influence for nearly two decades.
Arrest and Recovery of Weapon
The accused, identified as Nagendra (25), a resident of Navinagar village in Malihabad, Lucknow, was arrested near Malihabad railway station. Police also recovered the murder weapon—a sharp iron knife—on his pointing out.
Victim Identification
According to police, the victim was identified as Satyanarayan Yadav alias Pardesi Baba (50), a resident of Najar Nagar in Malihabad, Lucknow. His body was recovered on May 13 under Sandana police station limits in Sitapur district. Following identification, police registered a case under Sections 103(1) and 238A of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.
Motive Rooted in Long-Standing Grievance
During interrogation, Nagendra allegedly confessed to the murder and revealed that his mother, Siyavati, had been under the treatment and influence of Pardesi Baba for the past 17 to 18 years. The accused told police that he had become increasingly frustrated because, in his view, the occultist never completely cured his mother despite years of treatment. Nagendra further claimed that he strongly suspected that Pardesi Baba had trapped his mother through occultist practices and exercised control over her.
Police said the accused disclosed that he had an altercation with the occultist around six months ago. During the dispute, Pardesi Baba allegedly told him that he would never leave his mother, regardless of what he did. Nagendra claimed that this statement deepened his resentment and ultimately motivated him to plan the killing.
Throat Slit With Knife
According to the confession cited by police, Nagendra murdered Pardesi Baba on May 12 by slitting his throat with a knife. Investigators said the accused also admitted to driving nails into the victim's hands and feet after the murder. During questioning, he allegedly told police that he had heard a superstition that if an occultist is killed and nails are driven into the body, the deceased's spirit would not wander. Acting on this belief, he carried out the act after committing the murder. The gruesome manner in which the body was found had initially added to the mystery surrounding the case.
Murder Weapon Recovered
Police said that acting on the accused's disclosure, a police team recovered the knife used in the murder from a pond near a fairground outside Dona village in Kakori, Lucknow. The weapon had allegedly been thrown into the water in an attempt to conceal evidence.
Evidence Destroyed After Crime
Investigators said Nagendra also admitted to destroying several pieces of evidence after the murder. According to police, he burned the victim's Aadhaar card, wallet, clothes, and also the clothes, shoes, and gloves he himself was wearing during the commission of the crime. Police recovered partially burnt ashes from the location identified by the accused and documented the site through photography as part of the investigation.
Victim's Mobile Phone Thrown Into River
The accused further told investigators that while fleeing after the crime, he disposed of the victim's mobile phone by throwing it into the Sarayan River from the Baljati bridge near Sidhauli in Sitapur district. Police said efforts were made to verify the disclosures made during interrogation and gather corroborative evidence. Sitapur Superintendent of Police Ankur Agarwal, who supervised the probe, said that the location of the accused on the day of the crime was found, which spilled the beans.
