NEW DELHI: 42-year-old tantrik, Navalsinh Chavda, who confessed to lacing drinks with a deadly chemical to murder 12 people, died in police custody in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on Sunday.
Chavda, a self-proclaimed “bhuvaji” with mystical powers, was arrested in the early hours of December 3 by the Sarkhej police. He had been on his way to carry out another alleged murder when his plan was thwarted by a tip-off from a business partner with whom he had conspired.
The police had been monitoring Chavda’s activities and secured his remand until December 10, aiming to delve deeper into his occult practices and investigate possible links to human sacrifices.
After hours of intense interrogation, he began to feel unwell and was rushed to the civil hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
His confession before his death however, sent shockwaves through the investigation.
According to a report by news agency PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shivam Verma confirmed that Chavda had admitted to murdering 12 individuals using a toxic substance – sodium nitrite, a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning
Chavda’s confession revealed a series of brutal killings spanning several years and locations. He disclosed that his victims, including a man in Ahmedabad, six people in Surendranagar (three of whom were from the same family), three in Rajkot, and one each in Wankaner and Anjar, had all succumbed to heart attacks induced by the poisoning. Chavda further admitted to the 2021 murder of a man whose death had initially appeared accidental, only for later investigation to reveal the true cause of poisoning.
Among the victims were his own family members, including his grandmother, mother, and uncle, who Chavda claimed to have killed in previous years using the same method.
According to police, Chavda had obtained sodium nitrite from a laboratory in his hometown of Surendranagar, using it in occult rituals to enhance his powers and solve his victims’ problems—often under the guise of offering them wealth or good fortune.
The sinister details of Chavda’s operations were unearthed during his arrest, as the police discovered ritualistic items and white powder in his vehicle, all evidence of his dark practices. Authorities suspect that the chemical, when dissolved in water and consumed, caused the victims to suffer fatal heart attacks within 15 to 20 minutes of ingestion.
Chavda’s ashram in Wadhwan, Surendranagar, was a hub for his occult activities, where he would perform black magic and exploit vulnerable people.