In a chilling incident, a 12-year-old girl was brutally murdered in Jharkhand’s Godda district after her throat was slit and her head severed, officials said on Thursday.

A wave of shock swept through the area on Thursday morning after her headless body was discovered in a field in Dahua village, under the jurisdiction of the Lalamatia police station. As information about the incident spread, a crowd of villagers gathered at the scene.

Upon receiving the information, the police arrived and recovered the girl’s torso, though her severed head has yet to be found, officials said.

According to villagers, the crime was committed late Wednesday night. Like any other night, the girl had been sleeping at home with her parents. However, when the family woke up in the morning and found her missing from her bed, they began searching for her.

Shortly thereafter, they received word that her body had been discovered in a field in the village. The family remains baffled as to when, how, or under what suspicious circumstances the girl left, or was taken from, the house in the middle of the night.

Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Lalamatia police arrived promptly with a team. They immediately cordoned off the area and began collecting forensic evidence. The gruesome nature of the murder has sparked concern among the villagers.

Locals have suggested that the brutal killing might be linked to occult practices, human sacrifice, or some form of superstition.

The police, however, state that the actual motive behind the murder remains unclear. They are conducting a thorough investigation, exploring all possible angles, including technical analysis, forensic examination, and potential personal or family vendettas.

Following this harrowing incident, an atmosphere of intense panic, fear, and outrage prevails in Dahua village and the entire surrounding area.

The enraged villagers have demanded that the police administration arrest those involved in this crime as soon as possible.

Investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has conducted search and seizure operations at 10 locations across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and Punjab in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged illegal procurement and sale of imported foreign liquor through Gurugram-based liquor vend chain ‘The Theka’.

The searches, carried out by the ED’s Gurugram Zonal Office on Tuesday and Wednesday under the PMLA, covered offices and residences of individuals associated with ‘The Theka’, foreign liquor suppliers, transporters, and others allegedly involved in the liquor syndicate.

According to the ED, the investigation stems from FIRs and charge sheets filed by Haryana Police over allegations of illegal sale of imported foreign liquor and misuse of the bond-to-bond transfer mechanism to evade customs duties and state excise taxes.

The case originated from a complaint by Excise Department officials, who seized 3,921 cases and 176 loose bottles of imported foreign liquor allegedly lacking mandatory holograms and Track & Trace strips from ‘The Theka’ on December 9, 2025. Another FIR was also registered against members of the syndicate for alleged involvement in the sale of spurious liquor.

The ED said its probe revealed that the syndicate exploited the bond-to-bond transfer system, which permits movement of imported liquor between states without immediate payment of customs and excise duties. To facilitate the operation, separate companies were established in Haryana and Goa/Maharashtra and requisite customs licences obtained.

While the liquor was officially meant to be transported to bonded warehouses in Goa or Maharashtra, investigators found that consignments were diverted in connivance with transporters and supplied directly to liquor vends in Gurugram. The liquor was then sold as legitimate imported stock, enabling the syndicate to evade customs duties, VAT, cesses, and other taxes.

The agency alleged that after securing a liquor licence for the 2025-27 period, the syndicate procured and sold imported liquor without holograms and Track & Trace strips to increase profits. More than one lakh bottles of imported liquor were procured and illegally sold between June and November 2025.

According to the ED, the operation yielded profits of 20-25 per cent on illegal sales and generated proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 10 crore.

During the searches, officials recovered and seized incriminating documents, digital records relating to the procurement and movement of imported liquor under customs bond arrangements, and cash amounting to Rs 11 lakh.

Further investigation is underway.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai Zonal Unit, has busted an international drug smuggling racket involving the concealment of hashish in an international courier shipment originating from New York, United States, and destined for Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officers uncovered a sophisticated smuggling operation and seized 7.85 kg of hashish concealed inside a wooden-framed bathroom mirror, officials added.

Based on the intelligence, officers intercepted and examined a suspicious courier consignment at the International Courier Terminal in Mumbai. The package had been declared as a framed bathroom wall mirror.

During a detailed inspection, officers dismantled the wooden cuboidal frame and discovered eight concealed packets hidden within the structure.

Further examination revealed that the packets contained 169 smaller packets filled with a blackish resinous substance of varying weights. The recovered material was subjected to preliminary testing using an NDPS field testing kit and was found to be positive for hashish.

The total gross weight of the seized contraband was 7,850 grams (7.85 kg), making it a significant drug seizure linked to an international supply chain.

The narcotic substance was confiscated under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Following sustained investigations, DRI officials successfully identified and traced the intended recipient of the consignment. The accused was arrested on November 2 under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

Officials said further investigations are underway to uncover the larger network behind the operation, identify other individuals involved, and establish possible domestic and international linkages connected to the smuggling syndicate.

The DRI reiterated its commitment to combating drug trafficking and dismantling organized narcotics networks. The agency said such operations are aligned with the Government of India’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and its broader objective of creating a drug-free India.