Drowned boy’s father booked in suspected human sacrifice case

Thane: Days after three women were arrested in a suspected human sacrifice case involving a 12-year-old boy, whose body was recovered from Khadavli river in Kasara here, police have now booked his father for conspiracy and murder. During this week, Kalyan Railway Police which claimed to have solved the case, had arrested the boy’s stepmother Lata Kanjode (35), her sister Varsha Jadhav (25) and sister-in-law Latika Jadhav (30) in connection with the case. Inspector A T Vasave of Kasara police station, where the case was transferred, told PTI on Saturday that Ramdas Kanjode, father of the boy who had drowned, has been charged under sections 302, 201, 120 B, 363 and 182 of the IPC. However, we are yet to arrest Ramdas, he said. On July 20, the body Daksh Kanjode was found in the river here after local fishermen spotted it and informed the police. The body was found dumped in the river wrapped in a plastic bag tied to a bucket. A thorough probe into the crime led the police to the victim’s stepmother Lata, who allegedly along with two other relatives killed the minor by strangulating him with a rope. Later, the trio transported the body packed in a bucket by train to Kasara in the wee hours of July 1, which was found early this week. According to the boy’s maternal uncle, who lived nearby and had lodged a missing complaint with local police on July 9, the trio were often seen performing late night rituals but was unaware of their purpose and motives. As per police, this was the third marriage of Ramdas Kanjode. His first wife died in 2010 after which he re-married. Subsequently, his second wife too deserted him following which he tied the knot with accused Lata.