Girl, 6, killed by sister-in-law in occult ritual to unearth hidden treasure

A six-year-old girl was kidnapped and found dead after being "sacrificed" in a occult ritual allegedly by her sister-in-law to unearth hidden treasure in Chhattisgarh's Mungeli district. Five people, including the victim's sister-in-law, were arrested in connection with the murder.

The incident occurred on April 11 when the girl mysteriously disappeared while sleeping next to her mother at her house in Koshabadi village. The minor could not be traced despite frantic searches by the family.

Days later, skeletal remains of the minor were found at a cremation ground near the village and later identified.

During the investigation, police found that the sister-in-law allegedly masterminded the murder after being motivated by greed for hidden treasure. She contacted a local occult practitioner (tantrik), who advised that a child's sacrifice was necessary to fulfill the ritual.

To execute the plan, the sister-in-law paid Rs 500 to a local to kidnap the girl. After luring her, the accused reportedly took the minor to a secluded area near the cremation ground where the ritual killing was performed.

Mungeli police gathered forensic and circumstantial evidence that eventually led to the arrest of five accused, including the occult practitioner, the kidnapper and the sister-in-law.

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