Guwahati Police crack 2019 human sacrifice on Kamakhya premises

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI : A human sacrifice took place near the Joy Durga Manidir on the Kamakhya temple premises on the eve of the Ambubachi Mela in the intervening night of June 18 and 19, 2019.

The Guwahati police revealed this incident, which has its roots in superstition and appeasing the goddess. The plan for the sacrifice was drawn up at Boothnath Crematorium.

The police arrested five of the accused: Mata Prasad Pandey alias Mateswar Giri (50), hailing from Madhya Pradesh; Suresh Paswan (56), of Durga Saraovar hillside under Jalukbari police station; Pradeep Pathak alias Dinesh alias Raju (52), hailing from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh; Kanu Acharjee alias Kanu Tantrik (62), hailing from Fatasil Ambari in Guwahati; and Bhaiyaram Maoriya (60) from Uttar Pradesh.

According to Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Diganta Borah, on June 19, 2019, information was received at the Kamakhya Police Outpost that a beheaded body of an unknown female was found at Kamakhya near Joy Durga Mandir. The police found that a female body covered with a blanket was lying at the staircase. The head was missing.

A suo moto case was registered (919/2019 u/s 120B/302/201 IPC) at Jalukbari Police Station, the Police Commissioner said.

He added, “On July 28, 2019, the son of the victim, Suresh Shaw of Tatipara (Borkandaspara), Dankuni, and Hooghly in West Bengal, came to Jalukbari police station after he learned from the media about the news of the recovery of a headless body of a woman and, based on wearing apparel and other identification marks like tattoos, etc., on the body of the victim, identified the victim as his mother, Santi Shaw (64), who came to Kamakhya on the occasion of Ambubachi Mela and had been missing since then.”

The Police Commissioner said, “This case was recently reviewed, and a special team was entrusted to carry out further investigation to identify the accused involved in the offence.” The team analysed the technical evidence collected earlier and, based on the clues gathered, went to Cooch Behar, West Bengal, and carried out a search in the house of one Kailash Barman on March 18, 2023. They could recover the victim’s mobile handset and belongings like clothes, ID proof (Aadhar card), etc. On examination of Kailash Barman, it came to light that those belongings were left at their home in a bag by one Baba Ji by the name of Mata Prasad Pandey in June of 2019. As stated by Kailash Barman, Mata Prasad Pandey used to regularly visit their village during the months of June and July for the past 7–8 years. In the year 2019, the said Babaji visited his house and left the victim’s belongings, stating that the bag contained his belongings, which he would collect later.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of Mata Prasad Pandey from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on March 25, 2023,” he said.

He further said, “On interrogation of Mata Prasad Pandey, it came to light that, in the intervening night of June 18 and 19, 2019, a puja was held in Bhootnath, which they named Kapali/Kaal Bhairav/Kali Puja, where around 12 persons, including the victim, took part. After offering the puja at Bhootnath, after midnight everyone went to Kamakhya and first went to the cremation ground near Bagala Mandir. After that, they took the victim to Joy Durga Mandir and performed a puja there. They consumed alcohol too, and everyone was in a drunken state. During the puja at Joy Durga Mandir, they spread a blanket on the ground and made the victim, who was in a drunken state too, lie down. A few of them held her head, hands, and legs and then beheaded her with a dao in the name of human sacrifice to please Kamakhya Maa.”

The Police Commissioner said, “In the intervening night of June 18 and 19, 2019, a Kapali/Kaal Bhairav/Shaanti puja was sponsored by Pradeep Pathak, who paid Rs 10,000 to all the persons who were part of the puja. The puja was held in the name of the younger brother of Pradeep Pathak, who was a Naga sadhu during his lifetime and had expired 11 years ago on the same date as the incident, June 18, 2008. Pradeep Pathak was accompanied by another Sadhu, who is yet to be identified and arrested. They planned in advance to carry out human sacrifice before Maa Kamakhya.”

“After the crime was committed, they put the head of the victim in a bag and disposed of it in the Brahmaputra and left,” said the Police Commissioner.

Also Read:  Headless Body – A Human Sacrifice?

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