As the world celebrates Valentine’s Week with romance and affection, a gruesome murder in Ranchi’s Sonahatu area has shattered the festive mood. A 25-year-old married man, Harihar Mahato, was brutally killed by his lover and her husband, who then severed his head and private parts before dumping his torso in the Kanchi River.
The chilling discovery unfolded on February 8 when police recovered Harihar’s mutilated body from the riverbank in Domadiah village under Sonahatu police station. Missing since January 31 evening, the victim’s remains were found in a horrific state—head detached to conceal identity and genitals savagely damaged in an act of vengeful barbarity.
Investigations revealed a deadly love triangle. Harihar, himself married with a young child, had been in a two-year affair with local woman Sulochana Devi. When her husband, Chatrapati Mahato, learned of the illicit relationship, he plotted Harihar’s elimination. On the fateful evening, Sulochana lured Harihar to the river under pretense of a rendezvous. Chatrapati, armed and waiting in ambush, joined her in the attack. After the killing, they dismembered the body to destroy evidence, scattering parts across locations.
Police arrested the couple based on call detail records and local leads. Interrogations are ongoing to uncover if accomplices were involved. Domadiah village is gripped by grief and outrage, with Harihar’s family mourning the loss of a breadwinner.
This isn’t Ranchi’s first such tragedy linked to extramarital affairs. Just weeks ago on January 24, in Doranda’s Manitola, Taukir Ansari shot his wife Taranum Parveen over her suspected affair before taking his own life. Authorities warn that rising illicit relationships are fueling violent crimes in the region, urging community vigilance.