A young man in Uttar Pradesh (a state in northern India, bordering New Delhi), India, has been arrested for the brutal murder of a local occultist. The 25-year-old suspect, identified as Nagendra, confessed to slitting the throat of Satyanarayan Yadav, widely known as Pardesi Baba. The murder occurred on May 12, 2026, and the body was recovered the following day in the Sitapur district (~440 km east of New Delhi).
Nagendra stated to police investigators that the occultist had exercised absolute control over his mother for nearly two decades. His mother, Siyavati, had been seeking treatments from Pardesi Baba for 18 years without ever being cured. Nagendra became entirely convinced that the practitioner had trapped his mother using dark occult practices.
Superstition guided the crime until the very end. After slitting his victim’s throat, Nagendra drove heavy iron nails into the hands and feet of the corpse. He explained to investigators that he believed in a local myth. According to this superstition, pinning the body of a slain occultist prevents their spirit from returning to haunt the living.
Sitapur Superintendent of Police, Ankur Agarwal, confirmed the intricate details of the case. The murder weapon, a sharpened iron knife, was recovered from a pond near a fairground outside Dona village. Nagendra attempted to systematically destroy all evidence after the killing. He burned the victim’s identity cards, wallet, and clothing. He also burned his own blood-stained clothes and gloves, the ashes of which were recovered by forensics. The occultist’s mobile phone was thrown directly into the Sarayan River.
The practitioner built his career on exploiting irrational beliefs. He was ultimately destroyed by a man completely consumed by those very same superstitions.
Source: Times of India
