THANJAVUR: A 48-year-old woman here was on Friday arrested for allegedly murdering a six-month-old girl as a sacrifice to rid her husband of his illness. Her husband and a self-styled oracle were also arrested in connection with the incident.
According to sources, Nasrudeen (32) of Mallippattinam and his wife Shaliha (24) had two children -- a boy aged 5 and the six-month-old girl. On Thursday morning the girl was found dead inside a filled-up plastic tub that was used to store fish for sale, at the backyard of her house. The body was laid to rest in the burial ground. Neighbours, however, suspected foul play, and Village Administrative Officer Thangamuthu, on learning of the incident, filed a complaint with the Sethubavachathiram police. Registering a case of suspicious death, the police on Friday exhumed the girl’s body in the presence of Pattukkottai Tashildar Ganeswaran and the post-mortem was done at the spot itself. The body was later buried again.
Meanwhile, police investigations revealed Sharmila Begum, who is Nasrudeen’s maternal aunt, allegedly killed his child by drowning her in the tub on Wednesday night. She reportedly told the police her husband Azharuddin (50), who was working abroad, was falling ill often upon his return. When she consulted Mohammed Salim (48), a self-styled oracle in Krishnajipattinam, he reportedly asked her to offer a sacrifice. Begum initially sacrificed a cock near her house but she found that the husband's illness was not cured, the police said.
Following this, on Wednesday night, Begum went to her nephew Nasrudeen’s house, which is beside hers, and lifted the girl while others were asleep and drowned her in the tub, the police said. The case was subsequently altered into a case of murder and Sharmila Begum, her husband Azharuddin, and Mohammed Salim were arrested. Police sources said the latter pleaded that he only meant sacrifice of poultry or goat and not human sacrifice. However he was arrested on charges of abetment. Further investigations are on.