Police in Assam’s capital town Guwahati have arrested five persons for their involvement in a human sacrifice case even as search is on for another seven, who were also part of the superstitious killing.
The arrests of the five persons took place four years after recovery of a headless body of a woman near the historical Kamakhya temple in Guwahati city in 2019.
Police said that on the evening of June 19, 2019 locals spotted headless body of a woman near the staircase of Joi Durga temple and informed the police. Some vermilion were also found scattered around the body, which led many to think that it is a case of human sacrifice. Commissioner of Police (Guwahati City), Diganta Barah said that the police have arrested Pradeep Pathak (52), Mata Prasad Pandey (50), Suresh Paswan (56), Kanu Acharjee (62) and Bhayiaram Maoriya (60) for their involvement in the case.
“The five have planned the killing of the woman identified as Shanti Shaw while performing a ritual called Kapali or Kaal Bhairav Kali puja. They performed the ritual and beheaded her with a machete on the intervening night of June 18, 2019,” said the Police Commissioner.
“The Puja was sponsored by main accused Pradeep Pathak where a total of 12 persons took part. The puja was held in the name of Pradeep Pathak’s younger brother, who died on June 18, 2008. The accused apparently believed that the sacrifice would appease the soul of the deceased,” Barah said.
“After beheading her in the name of human sacrifice, the accused disposed the head of the woman in Brahmaputra river,” said Barah. He added that the police had instituted a Special Investigation Team to solve the case, and based on evidence, had arrested the five accused from different locations.
