Two men confessed to killing a 6-year-old boy and using him as a human sacrifice to gain "prosperity" while under the influence of drugs, according to authorities.
The murder allegedly occurred at a construction camp on Saturday night after the boy and his family were celebrating Durga Puja, a Hindu festival celebrating the goddess Durga, near South Delhi, India.
The boy, who has not been publicly identified, lived with his family at the construction camp, where his parents worked as laborers, according to a report from The Times of India.
After the festivities, the 6-year-old began walking back to his living quarters at about 10:30 p.m. when the two suspects, identified as Vijay Kumar and Amar Kumar, called him over to their "cooking area," according to the report.
When the boy approached the two men, they allegedly began to attack him on his head and slit his throat, according to the newspaper.
His parents told local authorities they realized their son was missing after they began to head back to their "sheds." The boy's father said he noticed blood oozing out of his family's shed. When he opened the door, he discovered his son's body beneath the cot, according to the Times.
Local police have since arrested the men, and the case was registered as a murder, the newspaper reported. Police also said they recovered the knife used in the alleged murder, as well as the clothes worn by the suspects at the time.
Vijay Kumar allegedly told police that he become "disillusioned" after consuming "prasad," a religious food offering in Hinduism. He said he believed he needed to make a "human sacrifice" to gain prosperity and therefore killed the boy, according to the Times.
Police told the Indian Express that the two men had consumed "smack or ganja" and wished to "please" the gods.
"Further enquiry revealed that Vijay had a 'vision' about the murder. He stated that he consumed drugs and approached some women for incense sticks. However, they refused to help him. He went back and then saw [a god] in his 'vision'. He then picked up the child and killed him inside his shed. The accused revealed this in their disclosure statements," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandan Choudhary told the Express.
The boy's father, who was also not identified, told the news outlet that he had hoped the boy and his sister would soon join school, as they had only recently moved to South Delhi.
"We came to Delhi around four-five weeks ago. Our family never fought with anyone. Why did they kill my son?" he asked.
Newsweek reached out to Delhi police for comment.
Other Instances of Children Being Attacked
Unfortunately, children are killed or injured in random, strange attacks from time-to-time.
In February, two children playing outside in Annapolis, Maryland, were randomly attacked and suffered injuries that sent them to the hospital. Speaking to reporters at the scene, Annapolis Chief of Police Edward Jackson said that a suspect emerged from a wooded area and fired shots indiscriminately, hitting the kids.
In May, a 1-year-old was randomly fatally shot in a drive-by-shooting in Pittsburgh, local police said. The child had been in the vehicle with a parent, police told local news station WTAE.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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