A six-year-old girl was allegedly strangled to death by her stepmother in a suspected case linked to black magic rituals in the Ernakulam district of Kerala.
The deceased girl, identified as Muskan, was the daughter of Ajaz Khan, an Uttar Pradesh native who has been living in Nellikuzhi near Kothamangalam.
Police arrested the stepmother Aneesha after she confessed to the crime during interrogation.
Meanwhile, investigators have taken Noushad, a local black magic practitioner, into custody, suspecting his involvement in influencing Aneesha to commit the murder. According to reports, police are questioning Noushad to uncover the possible connection between the child’s death and occult practices.
Muskan was found dead in her rented home on the morning of Thursday, 19 December, with her father initially claiming she was lying motionless on the bed. However, an investigation was launched after the postmortem report confirmed death by asphyxiation.
During questioning, Aneesha admitted to strangling the child while her husband was away on Wednesday night.
Police revealed that Aneesha placed her own child next to Muskan’s body to divert suspicion. Investigators also noted inconsistencies in her statements and suspected the involvement of Ajaz Khan.
The investigation into the murder and its potential link to black magic is ongoing.