Five-year-old boy beheaded in Madhya Pradesh as intruder breaks into home

A five-year-old boy in India died after a man broke into his home in Ali village, Madhya Pradesh, and beheaded him in front of his mother, authorities said Saturday. The child, Vikesh, was playing outside when the suspected attacker, Mahesh, 25, arrived on a motorcycle and used a sharp spade found inside the house to kill the child, severing his neck from the torso. The mother attempted to intervene and was injured as neighbors rushed to help. Several residents restrained the suspect until police and emergency crews arrived; the attacker was severely beaten by the crowd and died on the way to the hospital, Dhar district police said. The actual cause of death will be known after a post-mortem.

The Dhar Superintendent of Police, Mayank Awasthi, said the accused died en route to the hospital after the mob attack. He added that the post-mortem would determine the precise cause of death. Police have indicated that the assailant had been missing from his home in Jobat Bagdi, Alirajpur, for almost four days before the assault, and was not known to the boy or his family. The child’s family had reportedly seen Mahesh in the area briefly before the attack; authorities have said there is no identified acquaintance or grudge linking the suspect to the victims. The suspect’s entry into the home and the subsequent violence are under investigation, with a case filed against him.

According to local outlets, the attacker had also attempted to steal items from a nearby shop about an hour before the attack. The police said the investigation is being conducted to determine motive and to establish a full timeline of events surrounding the intrusion and the assault. Neighbors who came to the aid of the mother described a chaotic scene in which the boy was attacked inside the home, and the mother sustained injuries while trying to shield him. The family has not commented publicly beyond what police have recorded in statements.

The incident comes two months after the death of Pauline Crowther Ann, an 85-year-old British woman who was the mother of a Bollywood actor. She was found dead at her son’s home in the New Delhi neighborhood of Lutyens. An autopsy initially suggested death from a fall, but later reports indicated possible strangulation and brain injuries. A police officer told the Telegraph that the post-mortem was inconclusive and a second opinion had been requested. The case drew attention to safety concerns around high-profile figures in India, though officials said it was being treated as a separate matter from the current case.

Investigators have pledged that the investigation will be thorough, with teams reviewing surveillance where available and interviewing witnesses in Ali village and the surrounding area. The local police have urged residents to remain calm and to report any information that could help establish a motive or identify others who may have been involved. As the inquiry progresses, authorities are expected to release additional details about the victim’s family and any related safety measures being considered in the district.