Four Year Old Girl Found Murdered

Bangalore: In a case of suspected human sacrifice, a four-year-old girl, who had gone missing on Monday, was found murdered at Koodagalahatti lake near Hunasamaranahalli in Chikkajala police station limits on Thursday morning. The body of the victim, Harshitha, was found in a decomposed state. It is suspected that the assailants had killed her by smashing her head with a mud block. The girl’s right thumb was also cut off. It is said that a bone was found near her legs, which led to the belief that she was sacrificed to “appease” evil forces.

Harshitha was the daughter of daily wage workers Thammanna and Anitha of Gauribidanur. Anitha had come to her mother Rathnamma’s residence in Papanna Layout in Hunasamaranahalli for her second delivery. According to the police, Harshitha was last seen playing in front of Rathnamma’s house around 11 am on Monday. Her mother had filed a missing case with Yelahanka police.

On Thursday morning, some shepherds informed the police about the girl’s body lying on the tank bund. “The body was in a decomposed state and it is suspected that she might have been killed on Monday or Tuesday. We are working on some clues and the assailants would be caught soon,” police said.
Anitha said on Monday morning, a budubudike dasaiah (fortune teller) had visited her mother’s house, and on seeing Harshitha he told them that the girl would bring luck to the family. “But he asked me for her clothes, but I asked him to leave as I was scared. But he came again after a while and I saw him speaking to Harshitha, who was playing in front of the house. He was asking her name and other details. Meanwhile, my ten-month-old baby started crying and I went inside. When I came out after 10 minutes Harshitha and the dasaiah were not seen,” Anitha said.

She also suspected that the kidnapping was planned as an autorickshaw was parked near the house for nearly four hours before the girl went missing. “Even when I saw Harshitha for the last time, the auto was there. I suspect the dasaiah might have taken her in the auto and later killed my daughter,” added Anitha.

Local residents suspected that the girl was sacrificed by some black magicians since the body was found near Koodagalahatti graveyard. “I strongly suspect some black magicians kidnapped and killed the girl. Amavasya (new moon day) fell on Monday and Tuesday. We are worried about other kids,” Papanna, a local resident said.

The police are not confirming it as a case of human sacrifice, but at the same time they are not ruling out the possibility either. Chikkajala police have registered a case.