4-year-old girl ‘sacrificed’ in Assam to trace lost mobile phone
The body of the girl, missing since October 24, was recovered on Monday afternoon from a forest near her home in Ratanpur tea estate in Charaideo district of upper Assam.
A 4-year-old girl was allegedly beheaded and offered as sacrifice by a ‘tantrik’ (witch doctor) in Assam to trace a lost mobile phone.
The body of the girl, missing since October 24, was recovered on Monday afternoon from a forest near her home in Ratanpur tea estate in Charaideo district of upper Assam.
The body of the girl, missing since October 24, was recovered on Monday afternoon from a forest near her home in Ratanpur tea estate in Charaideo district of upper Assam. Her severed head and arms were found nearby. Police said there was no sign of sexual assault on the victim.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
The victim, who belongs to an Adivasi community, was allegedly tortured and beheaded by the witch doctor to be able to retrieve the lost mobile phone of one Hanuman Bhumij’s daughter.
Police arrested Bhumij and another suspect Ariful Ali, identified as the ‘tantrik’ assistant, after locals caught both men hours after the girl went missing. The main accused, Abdul Jalil, is absconding.
“Bhumij had approached the witch doctor to recover the mobile phone. We are investigating allegations that the girl was abducted and sacrificed with the hope of recovering the phone,” Prasanta Phukan, in-charge of Sonari police station told HT. The two men taken into custody have not confessed, police said.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.
Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.
