Gujarat man kills son at home temple’s altar, then sleeps next to his body

In Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district, a 36-year-old man named Naresh has been arrested for allegedly murdering his 10-year-old son at a family altar. Naresh, also known as a Bhuva or 'faith healer', is believed to have killed his son, Karan, in Vinchhiya village. Bhuvas are ritualistic practitioners who channel deities, and rationalist organizations in Gujarat frequently visit villages to raise awareness about such exploitative practices.

Naresh's wife, Bharti Patel, discovered her husband sleeping on a cot next to their son's body on Sunday. Bharti informed the police that Naresh had killed their son by slamming him against the altar of Mother Goddess thrice, hitting him on the head with a stick, and then laying the body on a cot. Bharti had moved out with their son to her parents' home in Sanand about ten days prior after Naresh had beaten her. Their son, Karan, remained behind for his exams.

The Ahmedabad Rural Police were alerted on November 1 by a neighbor who had called the authorities. Upon arriving at the scene, they found Naresh asleep on a cot with his son's body beside him. Inspector J L Chauhan of the Sanand police station stated, "The accused slammed the head of his son on the edge of the temple in the courtyard of his house and then hit him with a stick and killed him." The altar of the deity, Jogani Mata, bore marks of the child's blood.

When asked why he had killed his son, Naresh claimed, "My father was a Bhuva and I took up the role after him. To ensure that nobody else becomes a Bhuva in this family, I took Karan by the feet, slammed him against the altar, hit him with a stick and killed him." Naresh has been charged with murder and arrested, with a psychological evaluation planned due to suspicions of his mental stability. Neighbors report that Naresh did not have good relations with anyone in the area.