Shillong, Oct. 9: BSF constable Babu Khan was arrested this evening for his alleged involvement in the sacrifice of seven-year-old Krishna Singh on October 5 inside the BSF camp at Praharinagar, Tura, West Garo Hills.

Earlier on Friday, Khan and BSF head constable Chandra Wan were detained for questioning.

However, the tantrik, Lukman Hakib, who visited the BSF camp on October 4 and 5 from Mankachar in Dhubri district of Assam, is yet to be interrogated by Meghalaya police though he was initially questioned by Assam police.

Both the jawans knew the Hakib well and used to interact with him over phone.

Krishna, the youngest son of a BSF water-carrier, Kamal Singh, was found dead on Thursday morning near the BSF 121 camp in Tura with multiple wounds and incense stick burn marks on his body. He had gone missing on Wednesday evening during the Durga Puja celebrations in the BSF temple.

The police today said Khan was arrested as he gave conflicting versions about the incident to the interrogators.

Though Khan denied that he knew the Hakib, Chandra Wan said on Friday that it was Khan who brought the tantrik to his house.

Moreover, the police have also collected call records of both Khan and Hakib which prove that they were in touch. Hakib’s call records also show that he was in regular touch with four more BSF jawans. The police also led Khan to the place of the murder — the rooftop of the unused quarters inside the BSF campus.

According to the police, though Khan is yet to make a full confession, investigations have revealed that the tantrik ritual was committed by more than one person with the use of sharp needles.

Meghalaya drive

The Meghalaya government will launch awareness campaigns against superstitious practices in Tura and Sohra (Cherrapunjee) and the subsequent deaths in the area.

The sacrifice of seven-year-old Krishna Singh near the BSF temple in Tura, West Garo Hills, on Wednesday night and the killing of three persons by the villagers in Sohra, East Khasi Hills, have prompted the government to adopt measures to address the menace.

Krishna, the youngest son of a BSF water-carrier, Kamal Singh, was found dead on Thursday morning near the BSF 121 camp in Praharinagar in Tura with multiple wounds and incense stick burn marks on his body. He had gone missing on Wednesday evening during the Durga Puja celebrations in the BSF temple.

Besides the West Garo Hills and East Khasi Hills, incidents of assault by villagers on the suspicion of witchcraft have also been reported from the West Khasi Hills.

“We are concerned about the incidents in Tura, Sohra and elsewhere in the state. The religious leaders, social activists and political leaders should come together to create awareness on the ill effects of superstitions,” chief minister Mukul Sangma told reporters.

It is only with the participation of all sections of people that the menace can be eradicated from the state, he added.

He said workshops and effective campaigns should be organised in rural areas of the state to address the issue. Sangma said the superstitious beliefs will spoil the image of Meghalaya. Any negative image about the state will definitely drive away investors and tourists, he said.

If there are recurring law and order problems in Sohra, it will hamper the tourist flow to the area thereby affecting the economy of the state, the chief minister said.

On the sacrifice of the seven-year-old boy in Tura, the chief minister said a proper investigation was on to find out under what circumstances the boy was killed.

“We are hopeful that investigations will bring out the truth and we also need to prevent such incidents in the future,” Sangma said.