West Bengal: Tantrik held for sacrificing woman’s life for ritual

The woman, missing since October 14, was killed to offer human sacrifice.

Days after the headless body of a woman was recovered from a betel leaf grove in West Midnapore, the deceased has been identified as a resident of Baguihati in North-24 Parganas district. Following this, a tantrik was arrested on Tuesday on charges of murdering her.

Last Saturday, a nude body was found at a betel farm in Harashankar Garkhilla. While turmeric powder was found around the body, incense sticks and a bowl with a red cloth dipped in vermillion was also recovered by the police.

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The woman, missing since October 14, was identified as Parvati Sarkar — aged between 25 to 30 years. She used to stay with her husband in Baguihati in the same locality where accused Ramapada Manna (45) lived, said police, adding she was killed to offer human sacrifice. Manna, who also worked in a saloon in Baguihati, has been remanded to 10-days police custody.

Sarkar had reportedly approached him for help in solving family issues. He allegedly told her that she would have to come with him and perform a special puja in Tamluk. “In Tamluk, Manna first strangled her while performing a ritual and then cut her throat. We recovered the head from a roadside canal at Uttar Usodhpur village, which is about 1.5 km from the betel farm where the body was recovered,” said a police officer.

“But there was no way to identify her. It was only when Sarkar’s husband approached police following reports on the recovery of the body that we managed to solve the case,” he added.

Manna, who confessed to the crime, told police he sacrificed the woman to enhance his powers, said a police officer.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

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