5 children 'sacrificed' in Maharashtra village, 4 held

In a suspected case of child sacrifice, five children of a family were killed in a village in Hingoli district and four persons, including three women, have been arrested in this connection.The boys, aged between 4-12, belong to a family in Digras village in Maharashtra and were killed between December 2009 and March 2010, police said.The killings came to light recently following which police registered a case of murder against six suspects and arrested four persons yesterday after conducting searches at their residence, police inspector MA Rauf told PTI.The four accused identified as Parshuram Dalvi, Kalvati Kundlik Mokle, her husband Kundlik Mokle, Aasha J Dalvi, Vandana Mokle and her husband Vithal Mokle have now been remanded in police custody till March 22.The accused landed in police net after Vandana allegedly tried to sacrifice one more child — Rishikesh Dalvi — early this month, at the behest of a local self-styled godman, who is absconding, Rauf said.Vandana, who is childless was also allegedly preparing to sacrifice 11 children to fulfill her wish to become a mother, sources said.Police also recovered material like ash, black thread, unknown poisonous substances and some herbs during the search, he said. Investigators got a breakthrough when Rishikesh complained of the same health problems, detected in the five deceased children, who were allegedly fed poisonous herbs, before conducting the ritual, the sources said.According to doctors treating him, the boy also showed effects of the same poison, derived from some herb. Rauf said police is trying to rope in a few ayurvedic experts to identify these herbs, which could not be identified in the autopsy.The viscera of three victims, preserved for chemical tests, would be sent to Mumbai for futher analysis, he said adding interrogation of the accused are on.