Ahmedabad/Palanpur: In a shocking twist to the brutal murder of a police inspector’s parents in Banaskantha, investigators revealed that the crime was driven by superstition and the conviction that “sacrificing” an elderly couple and performing black magic on their ornaments would bring immense wealth.On Wednesday, Banaskantha police arrested four people for the killing of Vardhaji Chaudhary and his wife Hoshiji, parents of State Monitoring Cell (SMC) inspector Ajmal Chaudhary, in Jasra village of Lakhni taluka.Initially believed to be a robbery-motivated crime, the June 16 double murder was later uncovered to be the result of black magic rituals. The prime accused, Suresh Chaudhary — a neighbour of the victims — conspired with his father Shamalji, maternal uncle Umaji, and a witchdoctor named Dilip Thakor. According to police, the assailants stabbed the couple to death, stripped jewellery from their bodies, and performed occult rituals on their farm before returning to sleep as though nothing had happened.Suresh, who faced financial distress, was reportedly a follower of a black magic sect. Witchdoctor Thakor, who was also facing a financial crunch, convinced him that sacrificing an elderly couple and using their jewellery in rituals would alleviate their financial troubles and bring more wealth.Tragically, Suresh targeted his own neighbours — a couple he had known for years — both aged between 60 and 65.“Late at night, the four crept into the victims’ home, located just 80 metres away. They left a tractor and rotavator running to drown out any screams. Once inside, they launched a savage attack, stabbing the couple repeatedly. After the murder, they mutilated the woman’s legs to remove jewellery and looted valuables from both bodies,” police said.The group then returned to their farm, where they conducted black magic rituals using the stolen ornaments, and went to sleep, seemingly unfazed by the horrific act they just committed.The remote location of the village and lack of CCTV coverage posed a serious challenge for investigators. However, through ground-level searches, tracking, and the use of dog squads, the police managed to unravel the sinister plot. The arrests were made within 36 hours of the crime, following a probe involving 112 police personnel and key forensic and surveillance clues.“This was not an ordinary crime,” said Banaskantha SP Akshayraj Makwana. “It was deeply rooted in superstition and blind faith in black magic. The accused were lured by the promise of wealth through ritual killings.”