Authorities in India have arrested five individuals in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old boy, who was allegedly murdered as part of a ritual sacrifice intended to bring good fortune to a local public school. The tragic incident occurred in the city of Hathras, located near the famous Taj Mahal.
The boy was discovered deceased in his bed on Sunday night at the school hostel where he resided. Rather than notifying the police, Dinesh Baghel, the school director, reportedly concealed the body in the trunk of his car.
According to police officer Himanshu Mathur, the victim was killed prior to a black magic ceremony that was to be conducted by Baghel's father. "The boy was meant to be taken to an altar as part of a ritual but was killed before the ceremony could be completed," Mathur explained.
Both Baghel and his father have been taken into custody, along with three other teachers from the school. Details regarding the exact cause of the boy's death have not been disclosed, and local media reports indicate that the body is undergoing a post-mortem examination.
India's National Crime Records Bureau reported 103 cases of human sacrifice between 2014 and 2021. Such ritual killings are typically performed to appease deities and are more prevalent in tribal and remote regions, where beliefs in witchcraft and the occult are common.
In a similar case last year, five men were arrested for the 2019 murder of a 64-year-old woman, who was decapitated with a machete after visiting a temple in India's remote northeast. Police revealed that the alleged ringleader was performing a religious rite to commemorate the anniversary of his brother's death.