The severed head of a newborn, believed to be around three to five days old, was found in a forested area of Palamu district in Jharkhand on Friday.
The head was spotted by locals near Hanuman Nagar after a stray dog was seen carrying it out from nearby bushes. Thereafter, the police carried out a search operation but could not retrieve the rest of the body.
“We found only the head, and it appears to have been cleanly severed. Despite extensive searches in the area, we haven’t been able to locate the remaining body,” said Balakrishna Oraon, Investigating Officer, Town police station.
He also stated that the location where the head was found lies close to a canal and a burial ground. “It appears the dog might have dug it out from the soil or carried it from somewhere nearby. It had rained heavily the previous day, so it’s unclear where the head originally came from,” the police officer added.
The police have registered a case and are investigating it from two possible angles: the possibility of a narbali (human sacrifice) or the concealment of birth linked to an illicit relationship.
“Such rituals are known to take place in more remote villages. This is a semi-urban settlement where people from different places have settled. It’s unlikely such practices would take place here. However, it (the head) could have been brought here from somewhere else,” Oraon said.
The police are contacting nearby hospitals to find out how many babies were born in the region in the last few days.
