The Goa police today apprehended two men who were allegedly trying to kill a 75-year-old woman in a human sacrifice ritual in a house at Chinchim village, 40 km south of Panaji.
Maulana Abu Bakkar and Felix Fernandes were apprehended by the police after raiding the house in Chinchim village, where they found a huge pit dug, police said.
The 75-year-old woman, who was reportedly being brought for the sacrifice, was found in the house, they said.
Superintendent of Police (South) Shekhar Prabhudesai said investigations were being conducted to ascertain if it was a human sacrifice attempt.
The police team found sacrificial items like hens in the house. The woman was rescued by the police.
Both the accused have refused to accept that they were indulging in any such act.
They claimed they had dug the pit to search for gold, which they presumed was lying below the house.
The old woman, in her statement to the police, said the duo had threatened to sever her head and bury her dead body in the house.
"The accused who have been taken into custody have claimed that they were trying to search for gold below the house. Felix claimed that he had dreamt that there was gold in the house and that was why he was digging the pit," Sardesai said.
