Indian police have arrested five men accused of conducting a human sacrifice in a temple in Assam. In 2019, the headless body of a woman was found in Guwahati, leading to an investigation.
Shanti Shaw, 64, was beheaded with a machete at the temple as an “offering” to the temple goddess, police said.
“The five people planned the killing of the woman,” police commissioner Diganta Barah said while talking to the media on Tuesday. “A total of 12 people took part,” he added.
He continued by saying, “During investigation, we found this was a case of human sacrifice to please Maa Kamakhya (a Hindu goddess)”. The commissioner added that the alleged ringleader, Pradeep Pathak, 52, had orchestrated the killing as part of a religious rite to mark the anniversary of his brother’s death.
“The accused apparently believed that the sacrifice would appease the soul of the deceased,” he added.
Between 2014 and 2021, 103 instances of human sacrifice were reported to India’s National Crime Records Bureau.