The discovery of a man's severed head on a road leading to the ancient Kamakhya temple created quite a sensation on Friday, police said adding that it could be a case of human sacrifice.
Police said the head was found in a plastic bag along with a piece of paper that had religious hymns written on it.
"The head is yet to be identified. We have inquired in the locality and confirmed that the deceased is not a local," said an official at the Jalukbari police station adding that a search is on to trace the body.
"It could be a case of human sacrifice but it's too early to comment. Our first job is to identify the deceased," said police adding that the crime had been committed at some other place and then the head was brought here.
"There was no blood stain in the area, which indicates that the crime of beheading the person was committed somewhere else," police said.
Police did not rule out human sacrifice considering past cases, such as one in 2003 when temple security personnel had foiled an attempt by a man to sacrifice his one-and-half-year-old baby girl.
{{/usCountry}}Police did not rule out human sacrifice considering past cases, such as one in 2003 when temple security personnel had foiled an attempt by a man to sacrifice his one-and-half-year-old baby girl.
{{/usCountry}}Like many other ancient temples in Assam, the Kamakhya shrine also had a history of human sacrifice. A journal of the Assam Research Society published in 1933 says people were sacrificed till early 18th century in Assam.