A gruesome and deeply disturbing act of violence unfolded in a village in Madhya Pradesh on Friday when a five-year-old boy was beheaded inside his home by a man who was reportedly mentally unstable. The accused, who was unknown to the family, died after being severely beaten by local residents.

Attack in Broad Daylight

The attack occurred at the home of Kalu Singh, where the child, Vikas, was present with his mother. Eyewitnesses reported that the attacker, identified as 25-year-old Mahesh from Jobat Bagdi in Alirajpur district, arrived on a motorcycle and stormed into the house without any known motive or conversation.

Inside the home, Mahesh allegedly picked up a sharp, spade-like tool and used it to decapitate the child. He then struck the child’s shoulder, further mutilating the body. The horrifying act happened in front of the boy’s mother, who was injured while trying to save her son and left in a state of psychological shock.

Mob Justice and Police Response

Hearing the mother’s screams, neighbors rushed to the scene and overpowered the accused. In a fit of rage, they beat Mahesh brutally before police arrived. He was taken into custody but succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.

Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi, commenting on the case, said: “The real cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem. Initial investigations suggest he was mentally unstable.” He described the incident as “extremely heartbreaking.”

Mental Illness and Previous Behaviour

Preliminary investigations revealed that Mahesh had been missing from his home for three to four days. His family informed authorities that he had a history of mental instability. Just about an hour prior to the incident, he had reportedly attempted to steal goods from a nearby shop.

The victim’s family had no prior connection to Mahesh, and his entry into their home appeared to be entirely random and unprovoked.

Judicial Inquiry Ordered

Following Mahesh’s death in custody, a judicial inquiry has been initiated to investigate the circumstances leading to his demise. A case has also been registered against him for the murder of the child.

Unrelated Case in Uttar Pradesh: Woman Beheaded in Field

In a separate and unrelated case from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, villagers discovered the beheaded body of Kalawati Yadav, a 60-year-old woman from Bhui Dharpur village, lying in a field. Her head was found at a short distance from the torso, partially buried in soil. A sickle was also recovered from the crime scene.

Kalawati’s daughter-in-law, Uttara Devi, stated that the elderly woman had left home around 2 PM on Thursday, saying she was going to consult a doctor near Mangru crossing and later visited another doctor in Pipiganj. When she did not return, the family began searching and was informed of her death the following morning.

Police have detained one suspect in the case, and further investigations are ongoing.