KATHMANDU: Police have arrested 11 villagers on charges of murdering a 10-year-old boy in southwestern Nepal, an official said on Sunday, in what villagers desc­ribed as a case of human sacrifice.

Local media reports said the father of a sick teenager had last Tuesday lured away the 10-year-old, Jeevan Kohar, with a packet of biscuits and the promise of 50 rupees.

The suspect then reportedly slit the child’s throat on the advice of a shaman (traditional spiritual healer), who said his own son’s health would improve if he committed the crime.

“We have arrested 11 people, including four women, for murdering a ten-year-old boy,” said Nal Prasad Upadhyaya, police superintendent of Nawalparasi district where the incident took place. “All the villagers say the boy was killed in a case of human sacrifice, because the suspects were superstitious and believed in witchcraft,” Upadhyaya said.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2015

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