In a suspected case of human sacrifice, a nine-year-old boy was allegedly killed and then cannibalised during a ritual to find hidden treasure in Maharashtra's Wardha district, police said today.
Six persons, including the main accused Munna Pathan (47), were arrested in this connection yesterday, an official at Wardha police station said.
The boy, identified as Rupesh Mule, had gone missing last week, but the gruesome murder came to light recently when the accused were caught, he said.
Pathan had taken a farm on rent in Deoli village of the district. Sometime back, he performed a ritual there with the others accused - Uttam Pohane (43), Ankush Giri (18), Suresh Dhanore (45), Dilip Bhoge (37) and Dilip Khankar (34) - to dig up hidden treasure.
"When they failed in their attempt, they planned human sacrifice for the purpose," he said.
During search for the missing boy, police zeroed-in on the accused and it came to light that Pathan allegedly practised cannibalism (eating flesh of other human beings) on the deceased.
The accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Pathan has also been booked under Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Black Magic Act, 2013, police said.
A local court yesterday remanded Pathan in police custody till November 24 and the others till November 20, Wardha Police said.
