Chhattisgarh man confesses to poisoning eight villagers over old grudges
A 46-year-old man has been arrested in Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar-Bhatapara district for allegedly murdering eight persons and attempting to murder one by poisoning them between February and June 2026, police said on Tuesday.
Ram Sahay Jaiswal, a resident of Kharve village, allegedly served poison-laced alcoholic drinks to the victims, with each crime motivated by distinct personal grievances. Superintendent of Police O.P. Sharma said the accused confessed to killing the victims due to "old grudges, petty complaints, abuses, character doubts and witchcraft." All victims were male, aged 38 and above.
The first murder occurred on February 6, when the victim, Badri—who had allegedly often harassed the accused with abusive language and demanded liquor—died after consuming liquor laced with borax, a poison, provided by Jaiswal.
On June 6, villagers filed an application with police regarding the suspicious deaths of eight people in the village from February to May, leading to an investigation. Police exhumed seven bodies and sent them to Mekahara Hospital in Raipur for post-mortem. DNA, viscera, and other samples were preserved for forensic examination. The body of one victim, Budhram Jaiswal, had been cremated by family members.
Villagers suspected Jaiswal after a survivor, Kartik, told them that Jaiswal had served him a poison-laced drink on April 14, making him ill. Police also learned that Jaiswal had obtained borax from someone in the village under the guise of rat poison.
Jaiswal told police he first tested the poison on a dog before committing the first murder. "After targeting the first victim, the accused's confidence grew, and he targeted Buthalu on February 20, 2026," SP Sharma said, adding that enmity with Buthalu led Jaiswal to give him alcohol laced with borax, resulting in his death.
