10-year-old boy murdered in the name of sacrifice

NAWALPARASI, July 25

Police have arrested five persons from Kudiya, Nawalparasi, for killing a minor in the name of sacrifice to a deity to ensure good health for a boy who was unwell.

Ten-year-old Jivan Kohar of Kudiya-4 was slit to death in the name of sacrifice at the behest of a traditional shaman. Police have arrested five persons, including the shaman. They have pleaded guilty.

Jivan, called as Sonu, was missing since Tuesday. His body was found days later in a bush near a Durga temple outside the village yesterday. According to SP Nal Prasad Upadhyaya of District Police Office, Nawalprasi, murder charge will be pressed against the arrested who have been identified as shaman Ganga Harijan, Kodai Harijan, Rudal Harijan, Suryabhan Harijan and the sick boy Bijaya Harijan, 18. In his statement, Kodai has said that they sacrificed the 10-year-old after ‘the soul that had overpowered Bijaya sought the sacrifice to leave the sick boy’s body’.

“It was Tuesday when he (Bijaya) was taken over the spirit and his activities were quite unusual. When inquired, the spirit that had taken over Bijaya said it needed ‘human meat’ to leave. So we made a plan to sacrifice Jivan,” said Kodai. Jivan is son of Kodai’s neighbour.

All the five arrested over the murder were made public at a press meet at District Police Office on Saturday.

“With the sacrifice in mind, I bought incense sticks and camphor from the market and called the shaman and Suryabhan and Rudal. Then we also lured Sonu into coming along with us from his home. We then sacrificed him with the help of Rudal and Suryabhan,” Kodai confessed. Kodai had fled to India after the incident.

The sacrificed boy was a third grader at a local school. After the victim boy’s body was found yesterday, Kodai’s wife had confessed that her husband had murdered him in the name of sacrifice. Angry villagers had vandalised Kodai’s house.