Two robberies, one chilling pattern: ‘Hair‑chopping’ gang terrorises a Bihar village

In the quiet lanes of Darbhanga village, Bihar, two seemingly ordinary robberies have left the whole community on edge. It wasn’t just the stolen cash and jewellery that shocked residents – both incidents ended with the same bizarre, unsettling act: the thieves cut off the hair of the women they encountered.

The first episode unfolded on July 8 when five unknown men burst into the home of Dr Pawan Kumar Mishra. Inside, they overpowered his 22‑year‑old daughter‑in‑law, Karishma Devi, tying her up and striking her on the back until she lost consciousness. To drown out any muffled cries, the intruders cranked up the television volume, smashed open two cupboards and made off with roughly ₹35,000 in cash and jewellery worth about ₹5 lakh. Before disappearing, they roughly snipped Karishma’s hair – a detail that would echo a week later.

Just over a week after the first break‑in, another house in the same village – that of local schoolteacher Suman Kumar Chaudhary – was ransacked. This time, the culprits slipped in while a young girl was asleep, lifted valuables, and, eerily enough, trimmed the girl’s hair before slipping away. Police, along with forensic experts and a technical cell team, swarmed the scene, yet the motive behind the hair‑cutting remains a puzzle.

Local residents have started referring to the perpetrators as the “Baal Katarva” gang – a term that roughly translates to “hair‑chopping” in the regional dialect. The pattern is too striking to ignore, and rumours of a specialised gang are spreading faster than the gossip about the next village fair.

Authorities are now piecing together evidence from both crime scenes, hoping to link the two events and identify the perpetrators. The Forensic Science Laboratory has been tasked with analysing hair samples, fingerprints and any DNA traces left behind. Meanwhile, the Bahadurpur police station, which oversees the area, has stepped up patrols and urged villagers to stay vigilant.

For the families involved, the trauma is two‑fold: the loss of hard‑earned valuables and the violation of a deeply personal symbol of dignity. “It feels like they wanted to leave a mark, to remind us that they were there,” one neighbour whispered, eyes reflecting both fear and anger.

As the investigation continues, the village remains on alert, waiting for answers that may finally put an end to the chilling hair‑chopping saga that has haunted Darbhanga of late.