A 25-year-old garage mechanic died after reportedly drowning while he had gone fishing in the Gondli reservoir’s submerged area in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Monu Dewangan, a resident of Bhainsbod village and son of Ramniwas Dewangan. His body was later found floating in the water, following which local residents informed the police.

According to the preliminary information, Monu went to the submerged area of Gondli reservoir at around 10.30 am on Tuesday to catch fish. What happened after that is still being pieced together. Police said he apparently entered or moved into deeper water and drowned. Local people later noticed a body floating upside down in the reservoir and alerted the authorities. Balod police reached the spot after receiving the information and began checking the circumstances surrounding the death.

The police also recovered the deceased’s power axle vehicle from the spot. Initial investigation points towards drowning, but officials have not ruled anything else out until the post-mortem examination is completed. There were no apparent injury marks on the body during the initial inspection, police said. A forensic team was also called to the location as part of the investigation.

Balod SDOP Vinay Kumar Sahu said the family had informed police that Monu had a history of epilepsy. This information is now also being considered while examining how the incident occurred. It is not yet clear whether he suffered any health-related episode before falling into the water or whether he lost his balance while fishing. Police are waiting for the medical examination and post-mortem findings before reaching a final conclusion.

The incident has left the family and people in the village shaken. Monu worked as a garage mechanic and had gone to the reservoir during the morning hours. The area is used by local people for fishing and other activities, but the deeper sections of the reservoir can become dangerous, particularly when a person is alone.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death and started further investigation. Officials are expected to speak with local residents who may have seen Monu near the reservoir before he disappeared. The exact sequence of events will become clearer after these statements are recorded and the post-mortem report is received.

For now, drowning remains the preliminary cause of death. However, investigators are treating the matter carefully because the circumstances immediately before Monu entered the water are not completely clear. The recovered vehicle, statements from witnesses and the forensic and medical findings will form part of the investigation.

The incident also highlights the risks involved in entering deep or unfamiliar sections of reservoirs for fishing, especially without another person nearby. In this case, local residents were the first to notice the body and inform the police. The investigation is continuing, while the family awaits the final medical findings.

 A 30-year-old man died after allegedly being brutally assaulted with iron rods by a father and son in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, with police claiming the attack stemmed from a years-old rivalry between the two families. The victim succumbed to his injuries nearly 18 hours after the assault while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Raipur.

The incident occurred in Khaira village under the Deori police station limits. The deceased, Hitesh Sinha (30), reportedly sustained more than 20 fractures during the attack. Police have arrested the two accused—Hiraman Sinha (51) and his son Kamendra Sinha (26)—and sent them to judicial custody.

Attack Followed Alleged Deliberate Collision

According to the police, the assault took place on the evening of July 28 when Hitesh was travelling on a motorcycle with his relative Gaurav Sinha and another villager, Prakash Nishad.

The complainant alleged that as they reached a stretch near a pond in Khaira village, the accused intercepted them on another motorcycle. Kamendra allegedly rammed their bike, causing all three riders to fall onto the road.

Police said the father and son then attacked Hitesh with iron pipes, repeatedly targeting his arms and legs before continuing the assault even after he collapsed.

Victim Suffered Multiple Fractures

Investigators said Hitesh was initially rushed to Deori Hospital before being referred to a medical facility in Raipur due to the severity of his injuries.

Despite treatment, he died approximately 18 hours later. Preliminary medical findings indicated that he had suffered more than 20 fractures across his body, reflecting the intensity of the assault.

Following his death, police upgraded the case from attempt to murder to murder under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Old Rivalry Under Investigation

Police said both families had been involved in disputes since 2022, with multiple complaints and FIRs registered against each other over the past few years.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly claimed they became enraged after seeing Hitesh twirl his moustache and gesture by running his hand across his throat, which they interpreted as a threat.

The accused also alleged that the victim had earlier damaged crops by spraying herbicide in their fields, further aggravating the long-standing conflict. Police said these claims are part of the investigation and are being verified independently.

Relative Alleges Public Did Not Intervene

In his complaint, Gaurav Sinha said the accused continued beating Hitesh for nearly 20 minutes despite repeated pleas for help.

He alleged that when he attempted to intervene, he was also attacked with an iron pipe, sustaining injuries to his leg. He further claimed that bystanders present near the scene did not step in during the assault.

Police reached the spot after receiving information through the emergency response system and shifted the injured men to hospital.

Police Arrest Both Accused

Deori Police Station in-charge Manish Shende said an FIR was initially registered under provisions relating to attempt to murder. Following Hitesh's death during treatment, murder charges under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were added.

Both accused were arrested, produced before a local court and remanded to judicial custody.

Investigators are continuing to examine the background of the dispute, previous criminal complaints involving both parties and the sequence of events that led to the fatal attack.

The incident has once again highlighted how unresolved personal rivalries in rural areas can escalate into fatal violence, with police urging residents to seek legal remedies instead of resorting to retaliation.

A family in Chhattisgarh's Balod district allegedly lost over ₹13.13 lakh after fraudsters posing as astrologers promised to cure a stage-IV cancer patient through religious rituals and spiritual practices. Police have registered a case against several accused from Uttar Pradesh and launched an investigation into the alleged fraud.

The complaint was filed by 55-year-old Premlata Chandrakar, a resident of Sirri village under Ranchirai police station limits. She alleged that the accused exploited her husband's critical illness and emotionally manipulated the family into making repeated online payments over nearly one-and-a-half years.

Television Advertisement Led to Contact

According to the complaint, Premlata came across an advertisement of Pandit Ved Prakash Tiwari's Lakshmi Narayan Jyotish Sanstha on a religious television channel while searching for treatment options for her husband, who has been diagnosed with stage-IV cancer.

After contacting the mobile number displayed in the advertisement, she was allegedly assured that special religious rituals and pujas could completely cure her husband's illness.

Initially, the accused reportedly asked her to transfer ₹30,000 through a QR code, followed by another ₹18,000 payment on November 28, 2024. Thereafter, they continued demanding money under different pretexts, claiming additional rituals were required for recovery.

Family Borrowed Money, Mortgaged Gold

Police said the complainant transferred money through multiple bank accounts, PhonePe, Google Pay and other digital payment platforms between November 2024 and May 2026.

To arrange the money, Premlata allegedly mortgaged her gold jewellery and borrowed funds from relatives and acquaintances.

According to the FIR, payments included:

• ₹2.30 lakh through her daughter Ruhi Chandrakar

• ₹7.40 lakh through acquaintance Aman Dewangan

• ₹2.05 lakh through Chhatrapal Sahu

• Additional transfers through Nehul Nirmal, Tushar Sahu and Jayant Deshmukh

The total amount transferred allegedly reached ₹13,13,673.

Fresh Calls, Promise of Refund

The complainant alleged that after no improvement in her husband's condition, she demanded the money back.

She then reportedly received another call from someone claiming to be Ved Prakash Tiwari, who allegedly stated that some people had misused his institution's name and assured her that the entire amount would be refunded within two months.

However, according to the complaint, no refund was made.

Threatened With CBI and Police Action

The woman further alleged that the accused later contacted her again and claimed that Rahul Tiwari's father had died by suicide, leaving behind a note mentioning her and Ved Prakash Tiwari.

The callers allegedly threatened that if she did not continue making payments, Uttar Pradesh Police, the CBI, and other agencies would implicate her in a murder case.

Police said the complainant transferred additional money out of fear before eventually approaching law enforcement.

Police Register Case

Based on the complaint, Balod Police have registered an FIR against Ved Prakash Tiwari, Srijan Tiwari, Rahul Tiwari and other unidentified persons.

Additional Superintendent of Police Monika Thakur said a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating and common intention. Investigators are examining the financial transactions, bank accounts and digital payment records submitted by the complainant.

Police said efforts are underway to identify and arrest all those involved in the alleged fraud.

The investigation is continuing.

A 35-year-old farmer in Chhattisgarh's Balod district has died after spending eight days in a coma following an alleged assault by a group of six men over a dispute involving his minor daughter. Police have now added a murder charge to the case after the victim succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The deceased, Gaukaran Sahu, was attacked at his residence in Sambalpur village under the Pinkapar outpost limits of Deori police station. According to police, the main accused, Bhanupratap Jain (18), allegedly carried out the attack with five associates in retaliation after the victim had warned him to stay away from his minor daughter.

Victim Succumbed After Eight Days in Coma

Police said Gaukaran Sahu suffered severe head injuries in the assault on the night of June 30. He was initially admitted to a hospital in Rajnandgaon before being shifted to a private hospital in Bhilai due to his critical condition.

Despite intensive medical treatment, he remained unconscious for eight days and died on Wednesday.

Deori police station in-charge Manish Shende confirmed the death and said the case has now been converted into a murder investigation with the addition of relevant provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Attack Planned in Advance, Police Say

According to investigators, six accused allegedly travelled to the victim's village on two motorcycles and a scooter late at night.

Police said two of them remained outside to keep watch while the remaining four allegedly entered the house and attacked Gaukaran Sahu with sticks and a wooden rafter.

The victim sustained multiple injuries to his head, back and waist. The commotion awakened family members, including his 13-year-old daughter and relatives, following which the attackers fled the scene.

Previous Dispute Linked to Minor Daughter

Preliminary investigation suggests the assault stemmed from an earlier dispute involving the main accused and the victim's minor daughter.

Police said Bhanupratap Jain had become acquainted with the girl around one-and-a-half years ago. Following objections from the family, Gaukaran Sahu allegedly summoned Bhanupratap and his parents and warned him against maintaining contact with his daughter.

Investigators believe the accused allegedly planned the assault to avenge that confrontation.

Six Accused Arrested Within 24 Hours

Police launched an intensive investigation immediately after the attack, using forensic evidence, CCTV footage, cyber analysis and a dog squad to trace the suspects.

Within 24 hours, officers arrested all six accused from Bhilai.

The arrested persons have been identified as:

• Bhanupratap Jain (18)

• Neeraj Rastogi (18)

• Tushar Nirmalkar (20)

• Dinesh Dhimar (25)

• Kundan Yadav (18)

• Deepesh Patel (18)

Police also recovered the alleged weapons used in the assault, including sticks and a wooden rafter, along with two motorcycles and a scooter believed to have been used during the crime.

All six accused have already been produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.

Family Performs Last Rites

Following Gaukaran Sahu's death, his funeral was held in his native village on Wednesday evening.

According to local residents, his two daughters, Rupali Sahu and Deepti Sahu, participated in the final rites and carried their father's bier during the funeral procession.

Investigation Continues

Police said further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events and collect additional evidence related to the alleged conspiracy behind the attack.

Officials said statements of witnesses, forensic reports and other material evidence will form part of the ongoing investigation as the case proceeds under the revised murder charges.

Accused woman had been planning murder for six months; attacked victim while she was sleeping, then slit her throat with a sugarcane-cutting saw

 In a gruesome incident that has sent shockwaves through Chhattisgarh's Balod district, a first wife allegedly murdered her husband's second wife on Monday night, attacking her with a wooden bed leg before slitting her throat with a sugarcane cutter knife. Police have arrested the accused woman.

The incident took place in the Nevrikala village under Balod police station limits. According to police, the accused, Amrit Bai Sahu, was unhappy after her husband Chhimmanlal Sahu (40) brought Dayabai Sonkar (47) into their home about five years ago following a relationship. The two women had been at odds ever since.

Chhimmanlal, who works as a daily wage labourer, had married Dayabai about five years ago. Police said the first wife had grown increasingly resentful as her husband began giving more attention to his second wife.

Police investigation revealed that Amrit Bai had been planning the murder for nearly six months. She had kept the wooden bed leg and the sugarcane cutting saw ready in advance to carry out the crime.

How the crime unfolded

On Monday night, around 11 pm, when all family members had eaten dinner and gone to sleep, Amrit Bai attacked the sleeping Dayabai, repeatedly striking her neck with a wooden bed leg. She then used a sugarcane-cutting saw to slit Dayabai's throat.

After the murder, Amrit Bai left the house and went to the fields, where she changed her blood-stained saree. To avoid raising suspicion, she returned home around 3:30 am.

Body discovered in pool of blood

According to village watchmen Jhageshwar Singh and Chandrakishor Gedam, a relative of the accused came to call them around 4 am. On reaching the spot, they found Dayabai lying dead on the bed, soaked in blood. The entire bedding was drenched in blood. They immediately informed the police.

Forensic team collects evidence

On Tuesday morning, Balod police station in-charge Shishupal Sinha, cyber cell in-charge Dharam Bhuarya, a forensic team and police force arrived at the scene. Investigation revealed that both women lived in separate rooms in the same house.

Police seized the wooden bed leg and the sugarcane-cutting saw used in the murder from the crime scene. The forensic team collected blood samples and other crucial evidence.

Victim's family arrives from Rajnandgaon

After receiving information about the incident, Dayabai's maternal family members arrived in Balod from Rajnandgaon. Following the post-mortem examination, police handed over the body to the family, after which the last rites were performed in Nevrikala village.

The family

Amrit Bai has two sons. Her elder son dropped out after Class 10, while the younger son is in Class 11. Dayabai also has two sons, both of whom are married and have children.

Police statement

Balod police station in-charge Shishupal Sinha said initial investigation revealed that Amrit Bai had been planning the murder for about six months. "She had kept the wooden leg of the cot and the sugarcane cutter aside beforehand for the crime," he said.

Three Friends Killed in Balod Crash

A high-speed collision between a car and a bike in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district claimed the lives of three young men late Friday night. The impact was so severe that one victim’s severed leg was found nearly 50 metres away from the main crash site.

The accident took place around 10 pm in the Khairidih village area, which falls under the Doundilohara police station limits. The three friends – identified as Tarun Yadav (20), Rahul Sevta (20), and Narendra Bhuarya (21) – were travelling on a single bike towards Doundi Lohara for some work.

A Brutal Head-On Collision

According to initial reports, a speeding car with registration number CG 04 QB 5621 was heading towards Rajnandgaon from the opposite direction. Witnesses told local police that the car hit the bike head-on.

The force of the crash threw all three young men far across the road. Tarun’s hand was severed from his body. Rahul, who was sitting at the back, lost his leg. The limb was flung into a roadside field and was only found on Saturday morning by villagers around 8 am. Narendra sustained severe deep wounds on his body.

Scene Shocks Local Residents

The bike was completely destroyed. The front portion of the car was also badly damaged. Local residents who reached the spot described the scene as extremely grim.

“Two of them died instantly. The third, Rahul, was still alive but in terrible condition when we got there,” a source familiar with the ground situation said. Police arrived after being notified and rushed the injured to a nearby hospital. However, Rahul succumbed to his injuries while being treated. Doctors declared all three dead upon arrival at the facility.

Police Investigation Underway

Doundilohara TI Sunil Tirkee confirmed that the accident appears to have been caused by high speed and negligence. “The youths were coming to Doundilohara. The car occupants were returning from Dalli Rajhara to Rajnandgaon,” he explained.

Officials have sent the bodies for post-mortem examination. They will be handed over to the families once the legal and medical processes are complete.

Questions Over Alcohol Use

Police have not yet confirmed whether the car driver or the bike riders were under the influence of alcohol. “Whether they were intoxicated or not will only be clear after the post-mortem report arrives,” TI Tirkee added.

The legal process is ongoing. No arrests have been reported so far, though officials said a full investigation is underway into the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

The incident has once again brought attention to road safety on Chhattisgarh’s state highways, where late-night speeding remains a persistent concern. Local residents have called for stricter patrolling in the area, particularly after dark.

Balod Train Suicide: Couple Found Dead on Tracks in Daundi

A 23-year-old man and a Class 10 student allegedly died by suicide on the Dalli Rajhara-Antagarh rail route; police probe ongoing.

A tragic incident came to light in the early hours of Wednesday in Chhattisgarh’s Balod district, where a young man and a teenage girl allegedly died by suicide after jumping before a moving train. The incident took place around 3:30 AM on the Dalli Rajhara-Antagarh rail section, specifically near the Salhaitola stoppage under the jurisdiction of the Daundi police station.

The victims have been identified as Jiteshwar Taram, 23, a resident of Kumhalori village, and Lileshwari Uike, 17, a Class 10 student hailing from Salhe village. According to initial reports, the duo reached the tracks on a motorcycle before the passenger train (78823) approached the spot.

Gruesome Scene at the Stoppage

The impact of the collision was so severe that it resulted in the immediate death of both individuals. Local railway officials stated that the loco pilot of the passenger train alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF) immediately after the incident.

When the police and RPF teams reached the spot at daybreak, they found the bodies in a severely mutilated state. One of the victims’ limbs and head had been severed due to the force of the engine. A motorcycle, bearing registration number CG 07 LU 9886 and belonging to Taram, was recovered a short distance away from the tracks.

Girl Reported Missing Earlier

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that the two had been in a relationship for some time. Lileshwari had reportedly gone missing from her home on Tuesday evening. Concerned over her absence, her family members had approached the Daundi police station to file a missing person’s report.

While the police were initiating a search, the news of the bodies being discovered on the tracks reached the station. The families were subsequently informed and arrived at the site to identify the deceased.

Police Investigation Underway

Daundi Police Station In-charge, Uma Thakur, confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is currently active. "From the preliminary evidence at the site, it appears to be a case of suicide. However, we are not ruling out any possibilities and are investigating the matter from all angles," Thakur said.

The bodies have been shifted to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination. While the locals suspect the extreme step was taken due to personal or family issues regarding their relationship, the police stated that no suicide note has been recovered so far.

Gloom Descends on Kumhalori

The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community. In Kumhalori and Salhe, neighbors described the news as a sudden tragedy that has left two families devastated. Friends of Taram mentioned that there were no immediate signs of distress in his recent behavior, though he had been seen frequently with the girl over the past few months.

Next Steps in the Probe

Authorities are currently scanning call records of both the victims to establish a timeline of events leading up to the early morning hours of May 6. Statements from the family members are also being recorded to understand if there was any immediate provocation or pressure that led to the incident.

Railway operations on the Dalli Rajhara-Antagarh route were briefly affected as the site was cleared, but services resumed shortly after the bodies were moved for forensic analysis.