Brothers practised black magic at home

Police investigations reveal that both brothers performed black magic and conducted occult rituals; they were often embroiled in arguments over monetary issuesPolice are gradually putting the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together in an attempt to close in on the perpetrator of the spine-chilling double murders of a 78-year-old woman and her son, at their Ghatkopar apartment on Tuesday. Strangely, the police now suspect that both the brothers used to practise black magic, and this could be one of the key factors that led to the murders. Victim: Gopal's mother, Radhabai Shivram KrishnaInitial investigations have indicated that while the slain brother Jairam Krishna was an astrologer and a Hindu priest, his elder brother Gopal Krishna used to pay nightly obeisance to deities, often working himself into a trance. These startling revelations have come to light after the police recovered large quantities of ingredients for the practice of occult, including lemons, in the apartment. The stone used to kill Jairam, now part of the body of evidence, is also believed to be part of an occult ritual, brought into the apartment on April 14.Investigators also have reason to believe that the unmarried status of both the brothers could be a cause for their uneven tempers. They were often seen immersed in altercations and arguments within the premises of their compound, police sources informed. According to the police, the younger brother Jairam was earlier employed as a waiter at Deepa Bar in Ghatkopar. He subsequently switched jobs and opened shop as anastrologer.Chandrakant Puri, inspector with the Ghatkopar police station, spoke to MiD DAY. We are collecting evidence. Though we have not arrested anyone so far, we are very close to solving the case, he said. Gopal, who has been interrogated by the police for the last two days, was employed as a personal assistant to the vice chancellor of Mumbai University. Interrogation has revealed that Gopal was the sole bread-earner of the family, and this was a bone of contention for him. Moreover, he had to single-handedly cater to the needs of his physically debilitated, bed-ridden mother, and an allegedly mentally unstable brother.Gopal saysGopal Krishna said that on Tuesday, on reaching his residence, he found his mother lying dead on the bed and Jairam in a pool of blood in the bathroom.u00a0