Ghaziabad HORROR: Two youths befriend food stall worker, behead him in 'ritual sacrifice' for wealth

Desperate and disillusioned, they sought the advice of an e-rickshaw driver named Parmatma, who claimed to be knowledgeable in black magic. Parmatma convinced the two men that they could earn Rs 5 lakh each if they brought him the severed head of an orphan.

In a horrifying case that has sent shockwaves through Delhi, two men were arrested for the brutal murder of a 29-year-old drug addict in a twisted attempt to change their fortunes through black magic. The suspects, Vikas Gupta (24) and Dhananjay Saini (22), both originally from Muzaffarnagar, allegedly killed the victim as part of a sacrificial ritual, believing it would bring them financial prosperity.

The gruesome plot began when Gupta, an auto-rickshaw driver in Delhi, and Saini, a cook at a local eatery, decided that they needed to escape their meager livelihoods. Desperate and disillusioned, they sought the advice of an e-rickshaw driver named Parmatma, who claimed to be knowledgeable in black magic. Parmatma convinced the two men that they could earn Rs 5 lakh each if they brought him the severed head of an orphan.

Targeting someone who wouldn’t be missed, they zeroed in on Raju, a worker at a food cart who was addicted to drugs. Raju, originally from Motihari in Bihar, had lost his parents at an early age and had little to no contact with any relatives. Over the course of a week, Gupta and Saini befriended him by offering him alcohol.

On June 22, Gupta and Saini lured Raju to their rented room in GTB Enclave with promises of liquor and drugs. Once Raju was intoxicated, the two, along with Parmatma, hanged him from the ceiling with a cloth until he suffocated. They then transported the body to a forested area near Panchsheel in Ghaziabad, where they beheaded him with a knife, placed his head in a bucket, and dumped the headless body in the bushes.

The trio is believed to have performed a dark ritual with Raju’s severed head in their rented room before Parmatma took the head and fled.

The crime came to light later that same day when police discovered a headless body off Loni-Bhopura Road. Photos of the body were circulated to nearby police stations, leading to its identification by a relative of Raju. CCTV footage helped police trace the suspects, revealing Gupta's involvement after his uncle’s auto-rickshaw, used in the crime, was identified.

Following their arrest, Gupta and Saini confessed to the crime. Parmatma, the alleged mastermind, remains at large. Police have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code against Gupta and Saini. The search for Parmatma is ongoing.