Tribals in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh have killed a tantrik in what is believed to be a sacrifical ceremony and smeared his blood on the idols of their deities.
The 'sacrifice' was reported to the police by villagers who knew the tantrik, Gopiram Rawat. A complaint has also been lodged with the chief minister's office.
According to the villagers, the 'village tantrik', was taken to the neighbouring Sodegram on the occasion of the tribal festival - Devi Jatra - on the pretext of conducting a ritual and then killed in a secret ceremony to offer his blood to the deities.
It is said that one Sonuram Achla of Sodegram came to Rawat's house and invited him to his village to perform rituals to help locate a spot suitable for digging a well. The tantrik's nephew Umesh Kumar was told that he would drop his uncle back at night. But they didn't return, say the relatives of Rawat and the village Sarpanch.
The villagers got suspicious when they came to know that several families who believe in the blood cult (as they sprinkle blood on the statues of their deities) had gathered at a place in the neighbouring village with the clay models of their gods and goddesses on the fateful night.
Later Sonuram came to their village and expressed ignorance about Rawat's whereabouts. On being grilled by them, he said that Rawat had committed suicide and his body was still hanging to a tree. Sonuram told the villagers that his death was sacred as he had committed suicide on a holy night when all the gods and goddesses remain awake whole night.
The post mortem report, according to the police, indicated a mysterious death. While some burn spots were found on his legs, his throat too had deep gash marks and his stomach was full of uncooked rice.
The police do not rule out the possibility of the tantrik being sacrificed for mythological reasons. A case of murder has been registered and investigation is on.