Raipur: In a shocking case that has stunned Chhattisgarh, police have arrested a 48-year-old man for allegedly poisoning eight fellow villagers over a span of four months and attempting to kill another person due to personal grudges and disputes.
The accused, Ramsahay Jaiswal, a resident of Kharve village under the Kasdol police station area in Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara district, allegedly used poison-laced liquor to target people he knew personally. According to investigators, he carefully planned the murders and even accompanied victims to hospitals and attended their funerals to avoid attracting suspicion.
The case surfaced after villagers approached the Kasdol Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) on June 6, expressing concerns over a series of mysterious deaths in the village between February and May 2026. Their complaint prompted a detailed investigation into the deaths.
As part of the probe, police exhumed the bodies of seven victims and sent them for post-mortem examinations at Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur. The eighth victim had already been cremated. A medico-legal team collected and preserved DNA samples and viscera for forensic analysis.
Investigators got a crucial lead after learning that Jaiswal had purchased “suhaga,” a substance allegedly used as poison. He reportedly told the seller that he needed it to kill rats. Police said witness statements, technical evidence, and other findings gradually pointed toward the accused.
During interrogation, Jaiswal allegedly confessed to the crimes. According to police, he cited old personal rivalries, financial disputes, land-related conflicts, political disagreements, and suspicions regarding his wife’s character as motives behind the killings.
Investigators further revealed that the accused initially tested the poison on a dog to determine its effectiveness. After confirming its lethal impact, he allegedly mixed the substance into liquor and served it to his intended victims.
Police identified the victims as:
- Badri Patel, who died on February 6
- Buthalu Sahu, who died on February 20 following an election-related dispute
- Chhattu Ram Sahu, poisoned on March 12
- Budhram Jaiswal, who died on March 20 over a land dispute
- Vinod Kumar Sahu, who died on March 31 after repeated altercations with the accused
- Gajanand Manjhi, who died on April 28 over alleged occult-related disagreements
- Chaituram Sahu, who died on April 29, allegedly over a debt of Rs 50,000
- Mahetru Ram Sahu, who died on May 14 following a political dispute
Police have also registered an attempt-to-murder case involving Kartik Kumhar, who consumed the poisoned liquor on April 14 but survived after receiving medical treatment.
The investigation was supervised by Raipur Range Inspector General Amresh Mishra, Superintendent of Police O.P. Sharma, Additional SP Abhishek Singh, and SDOP Kaushal Kishore Wasnik. Teams from Kasdol Police Station and the Cyber Cell played a key role in uncovering the case.
Police said further investigation is underway, and forensic reports are expected to provide additional evidence in one of the most disturbing serial killing cases reported in the state in recent years.
