Five people, including a school director, have been arrested in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old boy in what police are calling a ritual sacrifice intended to bring good fortune to a school in Hathras, India, near the Taj Mahal.
The boy was found dead Sunday night in the hostel where he lived. Rather than alert authorities, school director Dinesh Baghel allegedly hid the child’s body in the trunk of his car, according to police. Officer Himanshu Mathur stated that the boy was killed ahead of a black magic ceremony led by Baghel’s father.
“The boy was meant to be taken to an altar as part of a ritual, but got killed before the ceremony could be completed,” Mathur said.
Baghel, his father, and three teachers have been arrested in connection with the incident. Details on how the child died are still unclear, with a post-mortem underway.
Human sacrifice, though rare, continues in some parts of India, with 103 cases reported between 2014 and 2021, often linked to superstitious beliefs in tribal or remote areas.
