Vadodara decapitation: Body found in room, head in adjoining farm; police probe enmity, black magic links

Police are looking into two possibilities in the case: whether it was due to personal enmity or was a result of a black magic ritual since the man was last seen at a gathering of shamans

By: Express Web Desk

Ahemadabad | April 18, 2025 11:04 PM IST

Anand said that Gohil was locally known to be involved in shamanism.

On Thursday afternoon, a neighbour of Kuber Gohil sought him out as usual. A troop of monkeys had descended on the farm of the 75-year-old and the neighbour wanted to alert Gohil. On hearing no response, the man peeped inside Gohil’s room – the septuagenarian who lived alone had built a modest home on the farmland – and saw his headless body lying near a cot. After 16 hours of search, police found Gohil’s head in an adjoining farm on Friday morning.

The incident took place in Chokari village of Padra taluka of Vadodara district. Police are looking into two possibilities in the case: whether it was due to personal enmity or was a result of a black magic ritual since the man was last seen at a gathering of shamans (locally called bhuva) in the village. Vadodara District Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand told The Indian Express: “We found the head in an adjoining farm, about 30-40 meters away from Gohil’s room. The farm belongs to one of his cousins, with whom he had a dispute related to a farm. The head was found under a heap of fodder meant for the cattle… it looked partially eaten … primary post mortem report suggests that the victim died around midnight on April 17, hours after he was last seen at the gathering of shamans.”

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Anand said that Gohil was locally known to be involved in shamanism. The police have also learnt that Gohil’s cousin, on whose farm the head was found, had also organised a separate shamanic ritual at his residence on April 16.

Anand said, “From the local villagers, we have learnt that the deceased had a dispute with three of his cousins over some farmland. He also had some differences with his daughter, who lives with her family in another village. We have rounded up the cousins to conduct primary questioning and cross-check their alibis. We are ruling out the possibility of theft or attempted robbery as there was nothing of value in his house that could be a motive for the murder.”

Anand said the doctors who conducted the post mortem have opined that the murder could be the handiwork of more than one person. “The head was severed with precision, which cannot be done by one person. It was also cut off from the collar bone area. We are looking into the aspect of the dispute between the relatives as well as a possibility that it could be part of a superstitious shamanic ritual or act, where one needed a human head,” Anand added.

Teams of the Local Crime Branch as well as the Vadu police station, where the deceased’s daughter has lodged an FIR, are looking into the matter.
Gohil was a widower and had been living alone following the death of his 25-year-old son several years ago. His daughter Kokila, a resident of Somjipura village, visited him regularly.

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