Overview
- Hazaribagh police, who announced the arrests Wednesday night, said they detained the girl's mother Reshmi Devi, alleged occultist Shanti Devi, and Bhim Ram from the same village.
- Investigators outline a timeline in which the child went missing during Ram Navami festivities on March 24 and was found dead the next morning, alleging the mother acted on a claim that a sacrifice would cure her son.
- Postmortem and forensic reports did not find evidence of rape, and police say the suspects first tried to frame the killing as sexual assault.
- A Special Investigation Team set up March 26 continues the probe as the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu notice Monday and sought updates from state authorities.
- The National Commission for Women formed a three‑member team to visit and report within 10 working days, while protests including a BJP‑called bandh press for accountability as the case proceeds under POCSO and BNS provisions.