Palamu, September 06, 2026: A 25-year-old man who went to attend a Janmashtami procession in Chhechhani village of Palamu’s Tarhasi police station area was found dead in a well late Saturday night, with allegations of a fight involving his friends adding a criminal angle to the case.
The deceased has been identified as Chandan Kumar Saw, son of Bihari Saw, a resident of Bhalogadi under Tariya panchayat. His body was recovered from a well located close to the route of the procession at around 1 am on Sunday.
Police have not yet established whether Chandan died after accidentally falling into the well or was killed and his body subsequently placed there. The body has been sent to Medini Rai Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Family alleges friends were involved
Chandan’s family has alleged that he was assaulted by friends during or after the procession and that his body was later put into the well.
According to his father and elder brother, they received information on Saturday evening that Chandan had got into an argument with his friends and was being beaten. By the time they reached Chhechhani, the procession had ended and Chandan could not be found despite a search of the surrounding area.
The family subsequently questioned his friends Deepak Saw, Ravi Saw, Krishna Saw and Mohit Saw. The family alleges that the body was eventually recovered from the well based on information provided by the friends.
The friends reportedly told the family that an argument had broken out after Chandan allegedly hit a sound box with his fist. Police are examining these claims as part of the investigation.
Police take youths in for questioning
After being informed about the incident, Tarhasi police officers Anand Singh, Mehtab and Rajiv Kumar, along with other personnel, reached the spot.
Police have reportedly taken some youths to the police station for questioning as investigators try to establish what happened after the procession ended.
The exact circumstances leading to Chandan’s death remain unclear. Investigators are examining both the possibility of an accidental fall and the allegations of assault made by the family.
Chandan had returned home from Maharashtra
According to the information available, Chandan worked in Maharashtra as a Poclain operator and had returned home on Saturday morning.
His friends later called him to join the Janmashtami procession in Chhechhani village, located around two kilometres from his home.
When he failed to return after the procession, his family began searching for him. The search eventually led to the recovery of his body from the well near the procession route.
Chandan was the youngest of three brothers and was unmarried.
Post-mortem expected to provide crucial evidence
The post-mortem examination is expected to help investigators determine the circumstances and possible cause of death. Police are continuing to question people who were present around the procession and are examining the events that preceded the recovery of the body.
At this stage, the family’s allegation of murder has not been established, and no conclusion about the cause of death should be drawn until the investigation and post-mortem findings are available.
