Police make arrests after complaint by victim's wife, FIR registered
Varanasi — Six persons have been taken into custody in connection with the alleged murder of occultist Anish Upadhyay, police said on Saturday, after his wife reported him missing and later alleged he had been killed and his body concealed.
Inspector-in-Charge Atul Kumar Singh of Lalpur Pandeypur police station is leading the investigation into the incident. An FIR was registered at the station as No. 244/2026 under Sections 191(2), 103(1) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a written complaint by Upadhyay’s wife, police said.
- Six accused arrested: Sonu, Vishal, Vikas Kumar Gond, Sahil Gond, Abhishek alias Rohit Kashyap and Mohit Kashyap.
- Missing-person report first filed on July 9 at Lalpur Pandeypur police station.
- Arrests took place from various locations on August 13 and 14, according to the police.
According to statements attributed to the accused and recorded by police, the family that called Upadhyay had been facing prolonged financial troubles and illness, which they believed were caused by a malevolent spirit. They approached Upadhyay, who lived in Om Nagar Colony, Goithaha within the Lalpur Pandeypur police station limits, to perform cleansing rituals.
Police said the accused told investigators that Upadhyay performed rituals at the family’s rented accommodation in Kanchanpur, Manduadih for four to five days, but their problems did not cease. The accused then allegedly conspired with relatives to kill him, luring him to their rented room on the pretext that a friend was possessed.
"They assaulted him using a wooden stool, a domestic gas cylinder and an iron rod, and attempted to conceal the body to destroy evidence," police said, according to their account of statements by the accused.
Investigators said the accused also tried to muffle the victim’s cries by playing music on a sound system, and later attempted to remove bloodstains and mask odours by spraying room freshener and body spray. Police recovered one wooden stool, one domestic gas cylinder, one iron rod and a music system from the scene, the account states.
Sequence recorded in FIR and police action
The case began when Upadhyay’s wife reported him missing on July 9. Following further inquiry, she filed a written complaint on August 13, saying her husband had been murdered and his body concealed in bushes. The FIR was then registered and the probe intensified, culminating in the arrests on August 13 and 14, police said.
| Detail | Information recorded |
|---|---|
| Victim | Anish Upadhyay |
| Police station | Lalpur Pandeypur |
| FIR | No. 244/2026 |
| Arrests | 13–14 August (six persons) |
Inspector-in-Charge Atul Kumar Singh is overseeing the investigation, which remains ongoing. Police have not released further details about the location of Upadhyay’s body or whether formal murder charges beyond the FIR sections cited have been added; such information typically emerges as the probe proceeds and forensic results are obtained.
Local implications
Incidents involving ritual practitioners and accusations tied to superstition can attract public attention in Varanasi, a city where religious and ritual practices are woven into daily life. Police and civic authorities face the dual challenge of addressing violent crime and ensuring that disputes involving faith healers or occult practitioners do not escalate into further harm.
The arrests mark a significant step in the investigation; prosecutors and investigators will need to establish motive, the sequence of events and any forensic links as the case moves through the criminal justice process. The matter is likely to be closely followed locally given the nature of the allegations and the involvement of several suspects drawn from the same community.
Further updates will depend on the progress of medico-legal reports and statements formally recorded in court proceedings, police said.
