Four-year-old ‘sacrificed’ for treasure in UP, 11 arrested, say police

All the 11 arrested have confessed to killing the boy for finding treasure

A four-year-old boy was allegedly killed by a group of 12 people who used the child as “human sacrifice in search for treasure” in Pilibhit district. Police on Thursday said they arrested 11 of the accused, while one is still absconding.

“All the 11 arrested have confessed to killing the boy for finding treasure. The accused were told by two occultists — Omkar and Bhagat — that there was an ancient treasure hidden in the village. They were told that they need to sacrifice a child in order to obtain the treasure. The 12 then made a plan to abduct a child from the village,” said Maniram Singh, SHO of Bisalpur.

According to police, two of the accused — Munna (35) and Sudhir (37) — kidnapped the child on November 17. The same day, they took him to Munna’s farm where they performed a “puja”, along with the other accused, and later killed the child and mutilated his body, the SHO said. “The next day, the body was spotted by villagers near a lake… On November 25, the boy’s father lodged a complaint,” the SHO said.