A chilling case of alleged human sacrifice has emerged from Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district, where a 13-year-old girl was killed in a ritualistic act, with her mother among three people arrested, police said.
The accused include the girl’s 35-year-old mother Reshmi Devi, 55-year-old occult practitioner Shanti Devi, and 40-year-old Bhim Ram, all residents of Kusumbha village. The arrests were announced by Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan and DIG Anjani Jha during a late-night press briefing on Wednesday.
According to police, the victim’s mother had been consulting a local tantrik for treatment of her younger son, who reportedly suffers from mental and physical ailments. Investigators said the occult practitioner allegedly advised that sacrificing a virgin girl would cure the boy.
The crime took place on March 24, coinciding with Ashtami celebrations, when the village was engaged in festivities and a Ram Navami procession. Police said the girl was strangled at the house of the occult practitioner, allegedly by her mother and Bhim Ram.
Officials further alleged that the accused carried out brutal acts as part of the ritual and later buried the body in a garden. The accused initially attempted to mislead investigators by claiming the girl had been raped, but post-mortem and forensic reports ruled out sexual assault.
Police also stated that Bhim Ram has been previously accused in other murder cases, including the killing of his sister-in-law.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the Jharkhand High Court taking suo motu cognisance of the case earlier this week and issuing notices to the state administration and the Director General of Police. The bench acted based on media reports of the crime.
Initially, the victim’s mother had claimed that her daughter was abducted, and her body was discovered in a field on March 25. The case triggered protests, with the opposition BJP calling for a 12-hour bandh in Hazaribagh.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities probe the full extent of the crime and the involvement of the accused.
