Ramsahay Jaiswal served spiked liquor to victims; police exhume 7 bodies for forensic tests; villagers claim plot to sacrifice 21 people

In a case that has sent shockwaves through Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar district, police have arrested a local grocery shop owner for the alleged poisoning of eight villagers over a period of three months — a crime investigators believe was driven by an obsession with hidden treasure.

Ramsahay Jaiswal (45), a resident of Kharve village under Kasdol police station, was taken into custody on Saturday after two days of intense interrogation during which he reportedly confessed to the killings. Police have registered nine FIRs against him under sections related to murder and poisoning.

The Timeline of Deaths

The string of suspicious deaths began on February 6, 2026, when Badri Patel died. Over the following weeks and months, seven more men lost their lives:

- February 6: Badri Patel

- February 20: Budhalu Sahu

- March 12: Budhram Jaiswal

- March 20: Chhatturam Sahu

- March 31: Vinod Sahu

- April 28: Gajanan Manjhi

- April 29: Chaituram Sahu

- May 14: Mahetru Sahu

The victims, aged between 42 and 55, were all liquor addicts who had direct or indirect links with Jaiswal.

How the Crime Unfolded

According to villagers, Jaiswal would offer liquor laced with poison to his targets at different times. Within minutes of consumption, the victims' health would deteriorate rapidly, leading to their deaths.

Kamta Prasad, brother of deceased Chhatturam Sahu and uncle of Vinod Sahu, alleged that Jaiswal either served the poisoned liquor personally or arranged for it to be delivered through others.

What makes the case particularly chilling is Jaiswal's behaviour leading up to the arrests. Villagers told police that he would openly share violent plans — but people dismissed them as jokes. He allegedly spoke of setting a gas cylinder on fire to explode when people came to extinguish it, and urged youth to set tractors ablaze.

"The most surprising thing was that he seemed to be happy when discussing the frequent deaths in the village," villagers recounted. "Whenever someone died, Ramsai was the first to be informed. He would call people to his shop and inform them of the deaths. It seemed as if he was slowly moving towards some hidden target".

The Treasure Hunt Theory

A darker narrative has emerged from the village — one of black magic and human sacrifice. According to police sources, villagers suspect Jaiswal was attempting to unearth a hidden treasure buried in the ground, locally referred to as 'hunda'.

Some villagers claimed Jaiswal had been planning to sacrifice 21 people to obtain the buried wealth. With eight deaths already recorded, fears grew that 13 more lives were still at risk. He allegedly placed images of deities for tantric practices in a corner of his shop.

Police Investigation

Following complaints from grieving families, police launched an investigation. On Saturday, a team of police personnel, revenue officials and Forensic Science Laboratory experts exhumed the body of Mahetru Sahu — the most recent victim — for post-mortem and toxicology tests. The remains were sent to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur.

On Tuesday, six more bodies were exhumed using JCB machines for forensic examination. Seven of the eight deceased had been buried according to Kabir Panthi customs.

SDOP Kasdol Kaushal Kishore Wasnik confirmed that statements from 20 villagers, including relatives of the deceased, have been recorded. "Postmortems have been conducted on the bodies of the seven deceased, and forensic examinations are underway. We are now conducting a detailed investigation, taking all aspects into account".

Jaiswal had initially denied the allegations during questioning, but reportedly confessed after two days of sustained interrogation. He was formally arrested on Saturday. Police are expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to reveal further details of the conspiracy.

Community in Shock

The small village of Kharve, with its tight-knit agrarian community, has been gripped by fear and grief. Villagers performed a peace prayer after the deaths and have been demanding justice.

One survivor reportedly fell ill after consuming liquor from Jaiswal but recovered after hospital treatment. This incident prompted the community to approach the Kasdol police station with a written complaint.

A witness, Umesh Navrange, told police that Jaiswal had once told him: "I have bought borax and warned you not to tell anyone. At that time, I didn't understand his words". Navrange said the shopkeeper constantly asked him to kill several villagers, offering money in exchange.

Police officials have confirmed that further legal action will depend on the post-mortem and toxicology reports. The investigation is ongoing.