Mangalore: Sullia village agog over suspected human sacrifice

District authorities in Sullia on Tuesday exhumed the body of a 23-month-old child and conducted a second postmortem following suspicions of foul-play in the death.

The body of Sarika, daughter of Mohandas and Bhavani, residents of Charmata village in Sullia taluk, was found decapitated, with her right hand cut-off, triggering speculation that the child had been murdered by people suspected to be practitioners of black magic and witchcraft.

The parents, in their complaint, had said their daughter was a victim of human sacrifice. People of the village also suspected that it could be a case of human sacrifice as there were groups digging for precious stones near the village. The members of these groups, said to be combing the area for over ten years now in search of precious stones, allegedly practiced black magic and witchcraft.

Esha Vittala Swamiji of Kemar Math, who requested district authorities for exhuming the body and for a second postmortem, told dna, “It was a shocking case. A fact-finding team led by me did not find any cause for an unnatural death. It is being said that she drowned in a water body, with parts of her body eaten by creatures residing in the water, which is most unlikely.”

District officials, including assistant commissioner of Sullia, tahsildar and police officials, exhumed the body on Tuesday, with details of the postmortem kept under wraps for now.