Youth sacrifices self to propitiate goddess

A youth killed himself by slitting his throat at the Neemsar's Lalita Devi temple, 95 kilometers, north west of Lucknow today. Rohit K Singh reports.

A youth killed himself by slitting his throat at the Neemsar's Lalita Devi temple, 95 kilometers, north west of Lucknow on Sunday.

HT Image

Narendra Kumar, (21), a BSc (Agriculture) student, left a letter for his family in which he said, "What I am doing is not suicide. I am sacrificing my life to propitiate the Goddess."

He cut his throat in front of thousands of devotees who had gathered, at Neemsar, also popularly known as Naimisharanya, on the occasion of Amavasya (the new moon day).

Neemsar, is a famous pilgrimage center of Hindus under Misrikh police area in Sitapur district.

"It seems the youth opted to sacrifice his life on Amavasya. Some people believe that the day is considered as ideal day for performing any tantrik sadhana," said a local preist.

The youth went behind the main temple building after offering prayer to the goddess at around 1 pm. Before anyone could react, he slit his throat with a kitchen knife in front of the statue of the goddess.

A woman, an eyewitness to the gory act, informed the police after which the cops rushed to the site.

"There was heavy rush. We were busy managing the crowd and security of the main temple. Nobody knew what the youth was up to. How can you predict that a youth entering the temple would have some such thoughts," MP Singh, the circle officer of Misrikh, told HT over the phone.

He said the youth was rushed to a near-by hospital but he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. He had a deep cut on his throat and lost a a lot of blood.

Sitapur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Balwant Rai says an inquiry has been ordered. A knife and a suicide note have been recovered from the spot.

His identity was also ascertained with the details mentioned in the note.

He belonged to a Mohali village, about 25 kilometers from Neemsar, and was pursuing his BSc-VI semester from Ajitmal Degree College in Aurraiya district.

"According to the suicide note, the youth came with predetermination to sacrifice his life. He mentioned in his suicide note that he had decided a long time back to sacrifice his life. He also wrote some 'mantras' and other personal details in the note," the ASP said.