Son serves father's jail term

By Ayanjit Sen in Delhi

An investigation has been launched in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand after a man was found serving a life sentence for a murder committed by his father.

The man gave himself up in place of his dead father following tribal traditions in which sons are made to pay for their fathers' sins.

A court in the state of Jharkhand had found a tribal man named Bagun guilty of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The convict was sent to a jail in Ranchi last year.

But the judges did not realise that it was Bagun's 30-year-old son - Dongo Jonko - who actually stood trial in place of his father who had died.

Jonko gave himself under pressure from his tribe to follow their traditions and pay for his father's crime.

Mistaken identity

Jonko had not disclosed his identity during the trial.

A senior jail official told the BBC that they were recently told of the mix-up by some villagers.

The matter was reported to the state high court which immediately ordered an inquiry.

Jail officials said Jonko never objected to the punishment as he felt it was his duty towards his father.

He has apparently not been visited by anyone in prison so far.

The state of Jharkhand is dominated by several tribes. The state was carved out of Bihar last year in an effort to develop it socially and economically.

Analysts says the incident has highlighted the need for a more vigorous campaign in the area to grow people out of superstitions.