CHILDLESS WOMAN SACRIFICES 5 KIDS ON GODMAN'S ADVICE

By P. Vijian

NEW DELHI, March 19 (Bernama) -- A woman desperate to have children was
alleged to have poisoned five kids to death and was planning to kill a total of
11 in ritual killing following a godman's advice.

The gruesome child sacrifice was exposed after police arrested four suspects
on Wednesday, including the prime suspect who was preparing to sacrifice another
boy child.

According to police, the woman, abetted by her family, was believed to have
sacrificed boys aged between four and 12 since December last year until this
month, mainly by feeding herbs containing poison to the helpless victims.

"The killings came to light recently after police registered a case of
murder against six suspects.

"Police was able to apprehend the suspects after the woman tried to
sacrifice one more child at the behest of a local self-styled godman who is
still absconding," said M.A. Rauf, an inspector at the Hingoli crime branch,
reported the Asian Age newspaper.


When police searched the suspect's house in a village in Aurangabad, in the
central state of Maharashtra, they found paraphernalia such as ash, black
threads and herbs.

The woman was married to a 35-year-old man for the past 12 years but did not
have any child.

The godman had advised her to sacrifice the children after which she would
be blessed with a child, added the paper.

All the suspects are now held under remand.

-- BERNAMA