Five men have been arrested in India over the beheading of a woman in 2019 that investigators say was perpetrated in order to curry the favor of a Hindu goddess.
Pradeep Pathak, 52, was the alleged ringleader of a ritual that was meant to commemorate the anniversary of his brother’s death.
“During investigation, we found this was a case of human sacrifice to please Maa Kamakhya, a Hindu goddess,” Guwahati police commissioner Diganta Barah said in a statement. “The accused apparently believed that the sacrifice would appease the soul of the deceased.”
Barah said the other four men arrested as part of the investigation range in age from 50 to 62.
A machete was used to behead 64-year-old A Shanti Shaw at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.
Shaw’s body was found in June 2019, but it took a month to determine her identity. She was eventually identified by her son.
Shaw had travelled to the temple with two other women and a Hindu “godman” in order to attend an annual fair.
In all, police say 12 people played a part in Shaw’s murder. Seven other suspects remain at large.
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