India: 'Serial killer', 8, charged with three murders (2 not reported b/c it was 'family matter')

The Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | June 1, 2007 | Peter Foster

[Stoat]

'Serial killer', 8, charged with three murders

By Peter Foster in New Delhi
 

Last Updated: 4:22pm BST 01/06/2007

 

• An eight-year-old boy was being described as "India’s youngest serial killer" after he was charged with the murder of three children, including his sister, who were all less than one year old.

  Armadeep Sada, the son of an impoverished Indian couple, was produced in court today accused of the murder of a six-month-old girl, Kushboo, who he is alleged to have abducted last Tuesday and two other children.

  Kushboo’s mother, Chunchun Devi, said she had left her daughter to sleep at her village primary school while she attended to household chores and returned to find she had disappeared.

  When villagers confronted Sada he is alleged to have confessed to the murder, leading them to the place where he had attempted to conceal the body in a shallow grave, local reports said.

  After his arrest police said the boy had then confessed to the murder of his eight-month-old sister three months ago and his six-month-old cousin, the daughter of a maternal uncle, almost a year ago.

  Superintendent Amit Lodha, from the town of Begusarai, 90 miles east of the Bihari capital, Patna, said the boy appeared to be a psychiatric case and was now being evaluated by professionals.

  An uncle of Sada’s told local media that the earlier two killings had been known to the family and some villagers, but had not been reported since it was considered a "family matter".

  Inspector Shatrudhan Kumar of Bihar police said that all the killings had been carried out in identical manner.

  “He said he took the children to the fields and hit them with a stone and killed them. He has been charged with murder” he added.

  Asked about the boy’s mental condition, police said that when questioned, Sada “just smiled a lot and asked for biscuits.”

[Stoat]

After his arrest police said the boy had then confessed to the murder of his eight-month-old sister three months ago and his six-month-old cousin, the daughter of a maternal uncle, almost a year ago. "

"An uncle of Sada’s told local media that the earlier two killings had been known to the family and some villagers, but had not been reported since it was considered a "family matter".

One naturally wonders whether it would have also gone unreported as a 'family matter' if the victims had been boys?

Also from the Times of India:

Eight-year-old 'serial killer' held after third murder-India-The Times of India

Eight-year-old 'serial killer' held after third murder
1 Jun, 2007 l 0231 hrs ISTlRajiv Kumar/TIMES NEWS NETWORK

BEGUSARAI: Eight-year-old Amardeep Sada only smiles at the policemen every time they ask him why he so brutally strangled six-month-old Khushboo on Tuesday. Police say Amardeep is a serial killer; he had earlier strangled to death his sister and cousin.

Amardeep's uncle admitted before mediapersons on Thursday the boy killed his six-month-old sister a few months ago and a cousin at his maternal uncle's place a year ago.

The earlier two killings went unreported. However, Amardeep's crime could not be pushed under the carpet this time since his latest victim was not a family member but lived in his neighbourhood in Musahari village under the Bhagwanpur police station.

Khushboo was sleeping alone in the village primary school while her mother Chunchun Devi was busy with chores at her house nearby when Amardeep strangled the infant and hit her with a brick before attempting to bury the body in the nearby field.

The boy later led the villagers to the spot and told them the gory tale of how he executed the killing.

Bhagwanpur police station officer incharge Shatrughan Kumar said the boy spoke little but smiled a lot. Patna-based psychoanalyst Shamshad Hussain said the boy prima facie appears to be a sadist who derives pleasure from inflicting injuries. A former professor of psychology in Patna University, meanwhile, said the boy does not have a sense of right or wrong.

[Millee]

Good Lord.

[Republicus2001]

Wonder if he caught a little of Charles SOBHRAJ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sobhraj

[Stoat]

Good Lord.

No mention in either article as to whether the family members who didn't report the crimes will be prosecuted.  "Failure to report a felony" is a serious crime here in the USA (last time I checked, anyhow) .

[Millee]

But this happened in India, right?

He's just a child, but honestly what do you do with a kid like that?? Lock him away I guess. I don't know if a person who can't feel human emotion can ever be cured. Very sad.

[CarrotAndStick]

According to Indian laws, he’ll be in a juvenile prison.

[Stoat]

 

But this happened in India, right?

Yes, although one would hope that such a basic legal concept as the requirement of reporting  serious crimes would be universal.  But, these are girls and so perhaps their murders are not taken quite so seriously.

He's just a child, but honestly what do you do with a kid like that?? Lock him away I guess. I don't know if a person who can't feel human emotion can ever be cured. Very sad.

The first responsibility of any Government is the protection of it's citizens.....someone who is so very far gone at such an early age may not have ever had any hope.

Yes it is very sad, and one naturally wonders how many other girls' murders have been covered up because it was a 'family matter'.

[mother22wife21]

"said the boy does not have a sense of right or wrong."

I call BS. Why did he attempt to hide the body if he didn't know it was wrong on some level? I also have to wonder about a family that would keep his previous crimes hidden. They knew, and let him loose on the other villagers. Someone else carries the same problem this kid has. This is absolutely freaking unnecessary. If, GOD forbid, my child was responsible for something like this, I would NOT give then another chance to kill again.

[cripplecreek]

I’ve reached the conclusion that some people are simply born defective just like a defective part off an assembly line.

[mother22wife21]

This just makes me so angry. I feel physically ILL. I know it's not the first time this has happened nor will it be the last, I know this.

This on top of the mother who HUNG HER CHILDREN, even the 8 month old just brings me closer and closer to your way of seeing things.

[adorno]

I call BS. Why did he attempt to hide the body if he didn't know it was wrong on some level? I also have to wonder about a family that would keep his previous crimes hidden. They knew, and let him loose on the other villagers. Someone else carries the same problem this kid has. This is absolutely freaking unnecessary. If, GOD forbid, my child was responsible for something like this, I would NOT give then another chance to kill again.

I too call it BS.

This whole story is suspicious. Methinks that someone else in the family is using the 8 year old to hide his or her crimes. The eight year old won't know how to defend himself, especially against family members and would be utterly confused by investigations and all the questioning.

[Bon mots]

Sounds like a modern day Mary Bell.

[r9etb]

Armadeep Sada

At the risk of sounding callous, I wonder if his middle name is "Wayne."