Assam family taken into custody for allegedly trying to sacrifice child

Police in Assam’s Udalguri district have taken seven members of a family into custody for allegedly trying to sacrifice a three-year-old child on Saturday. The child has been rescued. According to reports, the family of Jadab Saharia, a science teacher at a government high school, was conducting rituals at his residence in Kalsipar since Saturday morning, allegedly in preparation of the human sacrifice. “We got information around 12 pm. When we reached, we found that eight people, three women, four men and a child were conducting some rituals inside a temple,” said Nirmal Ghosh, sub-divisional police officer Bhergaon. The police tried to stop them but the family members turned violent and started attacking neighbours, the police team and journalists who had gathered at the spot with stones. “We fired in the air to bring the situation under control. But when that failed, we fired at their legs. Three persons including Saharia, his son and a relative were injured. They have been admitted to Guwahati Medical College Hospital,” said Ghosh. Eyewitnesses said that the rituals went on for nearly five hours and the family was reportedly preparing to sacrifice the child, who was a relative. The parents of the child were part of the rituals. The family also tried to burn down their house, set a motorcycle on fire and damaged their own car. “As of now we haven’t arrested the family members. They are in custody and being interrogated,” said Ghosh. According to reports, the family came under the influence of a ‘tantrik’ (practitioner of occult) after a family member committed suicide some years back. The ‘tantrik’ was present during the rituals on Saturday. Source: Hindustan Times