3 held for trying to sacrifice infant

The Delhi Police arrested three persons, including a godman, when they were allegedly trying to sacrifice an infant at a cremation ground in the Loni area of North-east Delhi on Saturday.  

The police said the four-month-old girl was kidnapped by her uncle, identified as Asif, who handed her over to a godman, Md Ilyas. The police said Asif had taken Rs 40,000 from Ilyas, promising to arrange a child for sacrifice. But he was unable to arrange for a child and had already spent Rs 30,000 from the amount that Ilyas had given him.

“On Thursday, Ilyas and his associate Dilshad threatened Asif of dire consequences. They asked him to either arrange for a child, else sacrifice himself. Terrified, Asif kidnapped his sister's daughter Hina (name changed) and handed her over to them,” said a police official.

The police said Hina’s father filed a police complaint, alleging that Asif had kidnapped his daughter, on Friday. The police conducted raids and caught Asif and Dilshad from Loni in Ghaziabad. The two accompanied the police to the cremation ground, where Ilyas was caught red-handed while performing the ‘sacrificial puja’ on the baby. Ilyas told the police that he was sacrificing the baby to enhance his witchcraft. 

The police have seized the weapon with which the sacrifice was to be performed and the remaining Rs 10,000.  

“We are trying to find out if had sacrificed some more children. Raids are being conducted to apprehend their other associates,” he added.