Gujarat man kills 10-year-old son at goddess altar to end 'bhuvo' tradition; arrested
Synopsis
A Gujarat faith healer allegedly smashed his 10-year-old son against a goddess's altar to prevent anyone else in the family from inheriting the bhuvo spirit-medium role — a generational tradition he reportedly wanted to extinguish at any cost. The accused was found asleep beside his son's body and arrested the same night.
Key Takeaways
Nareshbhai Patel , a 36-year-old farm labourer and self-styled faith healer from Vinchhiya village, Sanand taluka, Ahmedabad , was arrested on 1 November 2026 for allegedly killing his son.
The victim, 10-year-old Karan , was allegedly slammed against the altar of Jogani Mata and struck with a stick, sustaining fatal head injuries.
The accused reportedly told his wife he killed Karan to ensure no family member would ever again serve as a bhuvo (ritual spirit medium).
Bharatiben, the boy's mother, had been living separately for 10 days following a prior domestic assault; Karan had stayed home due to upcoming school exams.
A case has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ; a psychological evaluation of the accused has been ordered.
A 36-year-old self-styled faith healer has been arrested after he allegedly killed his 10-year-old son Karan by repeatedly smashing the child against a goddess's altar and striking him with a stick at their home in Vinchhiya village, Sanand taluka, Ahmedabad district, on 1 November 2026. According to police, the accused, Nareshbhai Patel, told his wife he committed the act to ensure no member of their family would ever again follow the generations-old tradition of serving as a bhuvo — a ritual spirit medium believed to channel deities.
How the Crime Unfolded
The incident reportedly took place around 7 pm near the altar of Jogani Mata, located within the courtyard of Naresh's own house. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Naresh allegedly held Karan by his legs and slammed him against the altar two to three times before hitting him on the head with a stick, causing fatal injuries. The altar bore visible marks of the child's blood.
When Karan's mother, Bharatiben, arrived home after being alerted to the assault, she found her husband asleep on a cot beside their son's body. A police team from Sanand police station, which reached the spot following a neighbour's alert, also found Naresh asleep on a separate cot, wearing blood-stained clothes, while the boy lay dead with severe head injuries.
The Accused's Stated Motive
According to the FIR, when Bharatiben confronted her husband, he admitted to the killing and explained his reasoning. '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,' he allegedly told her.
Naresh, described in police records as a farm labourer, had reportedly inherited the role of village bhuvo from his own father. Officials said he had grown to resent the tradition, and the killing appeared to stem from a determination — however distorted — to break the generational practice permanently.
Family Background and Prior Domestic Dispute
Bharatiben had reportedly been living with her parents in Sanand for roughly 10 days before the incident, following a domestic dispute during which Naresh allegedly assaulted her. Young Karan had stayed back at the family home because his school examinations were approaching. On 1 November, Bharatiben received information that her husband had assaulted their son and rushed back.
Neighbours reportedly told investigators that Naresh did not maintain cordial relations with people in the locality, a detail that investigators are factoring into the probe.
Legal Action and Mental Health Assessment
The Ahmedabad Rural Police registered a murder case and arrested Naresh within hours of the incident. The case has been booked under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which pertains to murder. Police have collected forensic evidence from the scene for examination.
Officials noted that the accused did not appear to be in a stable mental state and said a psychological evaluation would be conducted to assess his condition. The investigation remains ongoing, and further details are expected as the forensic and psychological assessments are completed.
Point of View
Domestic violence, and psychological instability — and that combination demands more than a routine criminal response. The bhuvo tradition is not inherently violent, yet the accused reportedly weaponised a warped sense of duty to justify killing his own child. What the investigation must establish clearly is whether this was an isolated psychotic episode or a premeditated act; the psychological evaluation ordered by police is therefore not a formality but central to justice. More broadly, the case highlights how deeply entrenched ritual identities can become sources of intra-family coercion in ways that existing social-protection mechanisms rarely catch — particularly when domestic abuse is already present, as it reportedly was here.
NationPress
2 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Vinchhiya village child murder case in Gujarat?
A 36-year-old self-styled faith healer, Nareshbhai Patel, allegedly killed his 10-year-old son Karan by slamming him against a goddess's altar and hitting him with a stick at their home in Vinchhiya village, Sanand taluka, Ahmedabad district, on 1 November 2026. He reportedly told his wife he did so to prevent any family member from continuing the generations-old bhuvo spirit-medium tradition.
What is a bhuvo and why did it factor into the killing?
A bhuvo is a ritual practitioner in certain communities, believed by followers to channel or communicate with deities. Nareshbhai Patel had inherited the role from his father and reportedly resented the tradition, allegedly killing his son to ensure no other family member would ever take it up.
What charges has the accused been booked under?
The Sanand police have registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with murder. Naresh was arrested within hours of the incident on 1 November 2026.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The investigation is ongoing. Police have collected forensic evidence from the scene, and officials have ordered a psychological evaluation of the accused, who did not appear to be in a stable mental state at the time of arrest.
Where was the victim's mother when the crime occurred?
Bharatiben, the boy's mother, had been living with her parents in Sanand for approximately 10 days following a domestic dispute in which Naresh allegedly assaulted her. Karan had stayed home because his school examinations were approaching. She was alerted by someone and rushed back to find her son dead.
