JHARSUGUDA: In a shocking incident of human sacrifice, a minor girl was killed by her cousin sisters in Bijapalli village under Rengali police limits of Jharsuguda district late on Thursday.
The body of 17-year-old Sanjukta Jaipuria was found by her parents under mysterious circumstances in a room of their house on Friday morning. They informed Jharsuguda police, who seized the body and detained Sanjukta’s cousin sisters, Soudamini (22) and Santoshini Jaipuria (23).
Brajrajnagar SDPO N C Dandsena said the girl’s parents Gopal and Jayanti Jaipuria had stated that Sanjukta was not keeping well for some days and when her condition deteriorated on Thursday, they called the two girls, who were practising sorcery, to cure her.
Citing the reason behind calling the girls, Jayanti said the accused had warded off evil spirit from Sanjukta about a month back and as she showed similar symptoms again on Thursday, they decided to call them.
The girls suggested that they need to perform some ‘puja’ to ward off the evil spirit and the three locked themselves in a room in the house from 4 pm to 10 pm. As the girls did not come out even after a long time, Gopal went in to find out only to be sent back by the accused that the ‘puja’ was still on. On Friday morning when they did not find the girls, the couple went into the room only to find the body of Sanjukta. Her cousins were missing.
The SDPO said the girl was first tonsured and later beaten to death with a heavy stone-like object. Ashes were smeared on the body and the condition of the room hinted at some kind of ritualistic prayer performed there. “We have detained the two accused and can reach at some conclusion only after a thorough investigation,” he added.
The body has been sent for post-mortem and the accused would be sent to judicial custody on Saturday. It is learnt that even the deceased had learnt sorcery along with her cousins.