Raigarh, Chhattisgarh: Fourteen passengers were injured after a Dwivedi passenger bus collided head-on with a truck near Tezpur in Raigarh district on Wednesday morning.The accident took place in the Rairumakhurd outpost area under Dharamjaigarh police jurisdiction. The impact severely damaged the front portion of the bus and triggered panic among passengers.According to local reports, the bus was operating on the Narayanpur-Raigarh route and had left Narayanpur bus stand in the morning. As it reached the Tezpur area, it collided with an oncoming truck.Police and local residents rushed to the spot and helped take the injured passengers to nearby hospitals. Six passengers were taken to Pathalgaon Civil Hospital, while eight were taken to Dharamjaigarh Hospital.Dharamjaigarh SDOP Siddhant Tiwari also reached the hospital and checked on the injured. Police said the passengers suffered minor injuries and were discharged after receiving initial treatment. Their condition was reported to be normal.Another local report, however, described the bus as travelling from Kunkuri towards Raigarh, rather than originating from Narayanpur. It also reported that two people had suffered serious injuries while several others sustained minor injuries. The discrepancy has not been independently resolved, so the route has been kept attributed to the available report.The police are investigating the circumstances that led to the collision. No fatality has been reported in the latest available accounts.The accident has also renewed concerns over road conditions on the Pathalgaon-Dharamjaigarh route. A local report said the stretch has several potholes and faces regular movement of passenger buses and heavy vehicles. However, whether road conditions contributed to this particular crash remains to be established by the investigation.

A retired South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) employee and his wife were allegedly murdered with an axe over a long-running land dispute in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, with the accused later setting their bodies and house on fire in an attempt to portray the crime as an accidental blaze.

Police have arrested two brothers in connection with the double murder, which took place in Krondha village under the Dharamjaigarh police station limits.

Bodies Found Inside Burnt House

According to police, the charred bodies of Mangal Rathia (65), a retired SECL employee, and his wife Punei Bai Rathia (55) were discovered inside their house on July 15.

Following the incident, teams from the local police, forensic science laboratory (FSL), dog squad and senior officers reached the spot to collect evidence. A case of murder, destruction of evidence and other relevant offences was registered against unidentified persons, and an investigation was launched.

Land Dispute Led to Murder

During the investigation, police found that the victims had purchased four acres of agricultural land in Krondha village by offering a higher price than other prospective buyers.

Investigators said the land purchase had triggered a prolonged dispute with members of another family in the village.

According to police, the accused allegedly conspired to eliminate the elderly couple over the ownership dispute.

Police Dog Helped Crack the Case

A breakthrough came when the police dog squad tracked the scent from the axe allegedly used in the murder.

Police said the sniffer dog, Ruby, led investigators directly to one of the suspects, Shyam Lal Rathia. Subsequent forensic evidence, technical analysis and witness statements strengthened the case against him and his brother Jeevan Lal Rathia.

During interrogation, both accused allegedly confessed to the crime.

Killed With Axe, Bodies Burned

Police said the accused reached the victims' house on the night of July 14 carrying an axe.

As soon as Mangal Rathia opened the door, he was allegedly attacked repeatedly with the weapon. Hearing the commotion, his wife came outside and was also assaulted and killed.

To destroy evidence, the accused allegedly placed clothes, sofa covers and other household items over the bodies before setting them on fire. They also ignited two rooms of the house in an attempt to make the incident appear to be an accidental fire.

The accused allegedly fled after abandoning the murder weapon at the scene.

Weapon, Clothes Recovered

Based on the disclosure statements of the accused, police recovered the axe allegedly used in the crime along with the clothes worn during the incident.

Both accused—Shyam Lal Rathia (32) and Jeevan Lal Rathia (48), residents of Krondha village—were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.

Police Warn Against Taking Law Into Own Hands

Raigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh said land disputes and personal conflicts should be resolved through legal means rather than violence.

He said the case demonstrated how scientific investigation, forensic evidence and police dog assistance helped solve a carefully planned crime and bring the accused to justice.

The investigation into the case is continuing.

A 48-year-old woman was found dead in a semi-nude condition in bushes near her residence in Chhattisgarh's Dharamjaigarh area on Tuesday, prompting police to investigate the case from multiple angles, including suspected murder.

The deceased has been identified as Rajkumari Chauhan, a resident of Masjidpara under the Dharamjaigarh police station limits. Police said the exact cause of death will be established only after the post-mortem examination and forensic analysis.

Body Discovered Near Home

According to preliminary information, Rajkumari's daughter had left for school in the morning as usual. When she returned home in the afternoon, she could not find her mother inside the house.

After searching the surrounding area, she discovered her mother's body lying in nearby bushes and immediately informed local residents and the police.

Officers reached the spot soon after receiving the information and began collecting forensic and physical evidence from the scene.

Previous Night's Dispute Under Investigation

Local residents told police that the deceased and her husband had allegedly argued the previous night over an undisclosed issue.

Police, however, have not officially confirmed the circumstances surrounding the reported dispute and said every possible angle is being investigated before drawing any conclusions.

Husband Missing After Incident

Investigators said the woman's husband, Mohabbat Chauhan, has been missing since the incident and has not yet been located.

Police are attempting to trace him for questioning as part of the investigation. Officials clarified that his absence is one of several aspects being examined and that no conclusions regarding his involvement have been reached.

Forensic Evidence Being Examined

The crime scene has been secured, and investigators have collected evidence for forensic examination.

Police have also recorded statements from family members, neighbours and other local residents to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the woman's death.

Officials said the post-mortem report will play a crucial role in determining whether the death resulted from homicide or any other cause.

Investigation Continues

Dharamjaigarh Police have registered the case and initiated a detailed investigation.

Authorities said further legal action will depend on forensic findings, medical examination reports and evidence collected during the course of the investigation.

Meta Title

Meta Description

Focus Keywords

Tags

Police in Raigarh arrested a man accused of raping a woman on the pretext of marriage and refusing to marry her after she became pregnant.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh for allegedly raping a woman after promising to marry her, and later refusing to accept her when she became pregnant. The accused has been sent to judicial custody following a court appearance.

Case Registered in Punjipathra

The case was registered at Punjipathra police station after the 22-year-old victim, a resident of Dharamjaigarh police station area, filed a written complaint on Thursday. Acting on her statement, police booked the accused and launched an investigation.

Contact Began on Instagram

According to the complaint, the victim came into contact with Sagar Sarathi, a 25-year-old resident of a village in Jashpur district, through Instagram in February 2025. During their conversations, Sagar reportedly introduced himself as unmarried and claimed to work at a plant located in Tarai Maal.

He allegedly kept assuring the woman that he would marry her and keep her as his wife.

Called to Tarai Maal in July

On July 23, 2025, Sagar allegedly called the victim and asked her to come to Tarai Maal. He reportedly took her to a labourers' quarter and established a physical relationship with her after promising to keep her as his wife. Following this, the accused allegedly continued to keep her at his quarters and exploit her, treating her as his wife.

Pregnancy Led to Refusal

In August 2025, when the woman became pregnant, the accused reportedly said he was unable to support a child and sent her back to her home in Dharamjaigarh. He continued visiting her afterward and spoke of marriage, but when she asked to be taken in permanently, he allegedly told her that his first wife was also pregnant and refused to marry her.

Threats to Victim

Sources said the accused pressured the woman to convince her family to arrange her marriage elsewhere. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to kill her.

Police Action and Arrest

Following the threat, the victim approached Punjipathra police station and filed a written complaint. A case was registered, and a female police officer recorded her statement before she underwent a medical examination. Police subsequently detained Sagar Sarathi from a labour colony near Singhal Power Plant in Tarai Maal.

During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted to being in a relationship with the woman and to her pregnancy. Based on the evidence gathered, police arrested him and produced him before the court, from where he was sent to judicial custody.

Local authorities said further investigation into the case is underway, and the medical and forensic findings will form part of the evidence presented during trial.