Police in the south Indian state of Karnataka have arrested three people in connection with the “human sacrifice” of a 10-year-old girl.
Citing police officials, BBC reported that the child was killed on the instructions of a “sorcerer” to “cure” a paralysed man.
The man’s brother and sister have been arrested on charges of abducting and murdering the girl.
The sorcerer told them it was the only way to undo the “black magic” that had affected their sibling, police said.
A 17-year-old boy has also been arrested for helping to abduct the girl, police said.
“There are a few more people who have abetted the crime. We are investigating it from all angles. So more arrests cannot be ruled out,” senior police officer B Ramesh told BBC Hindi’s Imran Qureshi.
The murder was discovered after residents discovered the body of the girl inside a bag. They also found materials which police believe were used to conduct “black magic” rituals.
As news about the incident spread, a mob gathered outside the brother and sister’s home and began pelting stones. Police had to use force to disperse the gathering.
