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Family Sacrifices Father, Eats His Flesh...

© Imtiaz Maqbool

Two horrifying incidents of human sacrifice, involving a 55-year-old trader and an eight-year-old boy, has come to light in India recently.

The first one, that of a Calcutta-based trader, occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi: Ram Sevak Chowhan's family beheaded him, ate his flesh and danced around with his blood smeared on their body. They also chopped off the tongues of his two daughters-in-law.

Varanasi Deputy Inspector General of Police Shailaja Kumar Mishra said the incident occurred on the night of April 2. Chowhan, who lived in Garkhada village with his second wife, two sons, their wives and granddaughter, decided to conduct a special puja for Goddess Durga.

Accordingly, Chowhan and his family went to a nearby pond, stripped and began the puja. Suddenly Meena, Chowhan's daughter-in-law, said she was possessed by the spirit of his first wife. She claimed that the spirit demanded a human sacrifice.

With nary any hesitation, the group choose Chowhan's granddaughter as the sacrificial lamb. The trader objected, offering himself in her stead. The family -- by now in a frenzy -- did not mind. They dragged him to the altar and beheaded him.

The police said the family then ate his flesh, smeared themselves with his blood, chopped off the daughters-in-law's tongues and went on dancing through the night.

The crime came to light when the village chowkidar spotted them washing off blood in the pond.

The police have taken into custody the six surviving members of the family. Villagers and neighbours said they had not noticed anything abnormal in the family's behaviour before.

The second incident was reported in West Bengal where an eight-year-old boy was beheaded and his blood offered in prayer by two tantriks.

Mithun Naskar of Barpunnua village in 24 Parganas (south) district went missing on March 26. His mutilated body was recovered from a nearby jungle.

Allegations of human sacrifice have been raised many times against the villagers.

State Director General of Police Dipak Sanyal said Mithun was lured to the jungle by Sudarshan Sardar and his disciple Kartik Bairagi.

Bairagi beheaded him after keeping him captive for a day. His blood was collected in a vessel and offered to the Goddess Kali (another name for Durga). The police have arrested the two tantriks.

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