Balodabazar: A man, his two sisters and 11-month-old nephew were killed on Thursday in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar-Bhatapara district on suspicion that a member of the family was practising black magic, a police official said.

The murders took place at 6pm in Chharchhed village under Kasdol police station limits and a man and his two sons have been detained and are being interrogated, he added.

“Chaitram Kaivartya (47), his sisters Jamuna (28) and Yashoda (30), and Jamuna’s son Yash were killed with sharp weapons and a hammer. We have detained Ramnath Patle and his two sons. They are from the same village. Patle’s daughter had taken ill recently and he suspected it was due to black magic practised by Chaitram Kaivartya’s mother,” the official said.

“Chaitram’s mother was not at home when the attack, allegedly by Patle and his two sons, took place. Further probe into the incident is underway,” he added.