A 10-year-old Indian girl found murdered was allegedly “sacrificed” by her own relatives to help “cure” her paralysed uncle.
Four people have been arrested for the murder of the girl, named as Ayesha, including her paternal uncle Mohammed Wasil, The Hindu reports.
“Nassem Taj [alleged black magic practiser] suggested that Wasil’s brother Mohammed Rafiq could be cured of paralytic stroke if a girl was sacrificed. She had suggested that Rafiq had been “gripped by evil spirits” and paralysed, and to be cured of this, he had to sacrifice a minor girl within 40 days,” police said.
The paralysed man’s sister has also been arrested on suspicion of abducting and murdering the girl, the BBC reports.
The channel adds the girl’s body was discovered inside a bag in the south Indian state of Karnataka, along with materials police believe were used to conduct “black magic” rituals.
In 2013 the Times of India reported a number of rituals including human sacrifice will be liable for severe punishment, including the death penalty, according to anti-superstition draft legislation.
The newspaper added: “The Karnataka Prevention of Superstitious Practices Bill, 2013 proposes the death sentence for human sacrifice in the name of black magic.”