Recently, in the village of Chhindkalo in Ambikapur city, Chhattisgarh, India, an unusual death occurred — a 35-year-old villager actually swallowed a live chicken, which blocked his windpipe, leading to his death…
The deceased, named Anand Yadav, returned home after bathing when he suddenly felt dizzy. Not long after, he collapsed, and his family rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he ultimately passed away.
The cause of Yadav’s death was unclear, so he was sent for an autopsy. Initially, the forensic examiner couldn’t determine the cause of death, but upon cutting open his throat, they discovered the issue — a 20 cm long chicken was lodged near his windpipe, and the chicken was still alive. 
The forensic examiner deduced that the chicken had blocked his windpipe and food passage, causing asphyxiation. This was such a bizarre case that even a seasoned examiner who had performed 15,000 autopsies exclaimed, “This is the first time I’ve encountered such a case in my career.”
As for why Yadav swallowed the live chicken, some villagers speculated that he was influenced by superstitious beliefs.
Yadav and his wife had been married for five years but had no children. To cure infertility and fulfill his desire to become a father, he reportedly sought help from a “tantrik” (tantric practitioner).
The term “tantrik” is complex, associated with supernatural powers, yoga, religious philosophies, and Tantrism, with various interpretations among the populace, making it difficult to provide a single, clear definition. Here, it’s translated as a tantric practitioner, but in reality, in India, it often refers to charlatans or fraudulent mystics.
Yadav was likely incited by a tantrik to swallow the chicken as part of a ritual to conceive a child, which unfortunately led to his death…
The exact reason is still under investigation by the police, and Yadav’s family has refused to comment.
(Illustration, sourced from the internet)
Speaking of which, these Indian tantriks have harmed people on more than one occasion. The term “tantrik” often appears in various reports of sexual assault and deaths, with countless victims, especially in remote villages where the general level of education is low, making these areas particularly vulnerable.
Some of the more gruesome incidents include:
In June 2019, in a village in BanasKantha, Gujarat, a 7-month-old girl with congenital heart problems and breathing difficulties was taken to a tantrik for treatment. The tantrik’s method was to burn a cross and a straight line on the baby’s chest and below her navel with a branding iron, causing severe burns to her skin, akin to torture…
A similar incident occurred in West Bengal in May 2023, where a 4-year-old boy playing in a field was bitten by a poisonous snake. His grandmother rushed him to a tantrik for help, which worsened his condition, and by the time he was taken to a proper hospital, it was too late…
(Illustration, sourced from the internet)
Even more shocking are cases of human sacrifice:
In 2016, in Charaideo, Assam, a family whose mobile phone was stolen hired a tantrik to perform a ceremony to locate it. As part of the ritual, they heartlessly beheaded a 4-year-old boy to offer as a sacrifice to a “goddess”…
In December 2020, in Barmer district, Rajasthan, a 10-year-old girl was on her way home when she was stopped by a man practicing witchcraft. He dragged her into a pre-dug pit filled with flammable materials, then set himself and the girl on fire.
Then, in September of this year, in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, the owner of a public school, who believed in witchcraft, instructed the school principal and teachers to perform a human sacrifice to solve the school’s financial problems, ultimately resulting in the death of an 11-year-old boy.
(A boy was murdered by the school principal and teachers)
Such cases are not uncommon. Just this month on the 3rd, in Sarkhej, Gujarat, police arrested a 42-year-old tantrik named Navalsinh Chavda. He claimed he could perform magic and miracles to help people gain wealth and solve problems, deceiving many with his smooth talk.
Chavda confessed to committing 12 murders, all using the same method: during some kind of ritual, he made the victims drink water laced with sodium nitrite. At the time of his arrest, he was preparing to commit another crime, and it’s suspected he was also involved in human sacrifices. Unfortunately, he died suddenly before the truth could be fully uncovered…
Unfortunate reports emerge every year, yet people still line up to be deceived. Indeed, feudal superstition has caused considerable harm…
