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4-yr-old child ‘sacrificed’ by father, tantrik in Charaideo, Assam

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Guwahati: A case of human sacrifice has been reported from the Charaideo district of Assam.  In a horrific incident of ‘human sacrifice’, a four-year-old girl was killed by her father at a tea garden in upper Assam’s Charaideo district on August 8.

Police arrested the victim’s father Anta Munda (54) — a worker of Safrai Tea Estate — on Wednesday along with a local Tantrik, Bogadhar Munda, after they confessed to killing the child.

On Monday the girl, the youngest of five siblings, the girl was taken away from her tea estate home while she was sleeping and her elder sister reported her missing to the Sefrai police station the next day.

On Tuesday night, the child’s body was recovered from the Singla river, and red cloth with ashes, as well as other materials used in tantric rituals, were discovered on the riverbank, indicating that this could be a case of human sacrifice, according to a senior officer. Her body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

Charaideo SP Sudhakar Singh said, “We have arrested the father of the deceased girl and another person for the killing. We have sought their remand from the court for further investigation. Unfortunately, the girl was a victim of superstition.”

“Due to illiteracy, many people in the rural areas still believe in superstition and black magic. They come under the influence of quacks and tantric and do horrific things,” the SP said.

Sources said superstition and black magic have been prevalent in the Adivasi areas. Most of the people are illiterate and they easily believe in such practices.

“Earlier, cases of human sacrifice were reported in Assam. Mostly from tea belt areas, such cases are reported. The people easily fall under the influence of some quacks and sacrifice their near and dear ones. Due to superstitious beliefs and illiteracy in tea garden areas, such cases occurred,” said the police official.

According to the senior officer, a tantric has been apprehended, and a manhunt has been initiated to find the major occult practitioner, who is the primary suspect in the case. The girl’s parents have been interrogated, and ten persons, including her father, have been arrested for further questioning.

Munda confessed that he and Bogadhar Munda, a preacher of Goddess Kali, strangulated the child in a graveyard on Amavasya night (No moon day) on August 8 as they deemed the child as a ‘bad omen’ for the family as her mother died soon after giving birth to her four years ago.

Moreover, any ailment in the family was attributed to the ‘ill effect’ of the child.

The duo after strangulating the helpless child threw the body into the river.

On Tuesday evening, the body of the girl was discovered by local youth. Puja materials used in the ritual were also recovered near the body of the minor.

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