Chennai: A woman sorcerer and her aide have been nabbed by the police for the murder of a 13-year-old girl in Pudukkottai. The duo allegedly adviced the victim’s father to sacrifice her to solve his financial problems.
The aide, identified as Murugayee also happens to the girl’s relative. The sorcerer, Vasanthi, adviced the girl’s father Panneerselvam (41) that his financial problems would be solved and he could gain wealth, if he sacrified the life of one of his daughters.
The 13-year-old was born to Panneerselvam and his first wife Indira with whom he has three other children.
Panneerselvam is a construction labourer. He has two children with his second wife Mookayi.
On 18 May, in the village of Nodiyur, the girl had gone to fetch water and did not return.
Indira found her unconscious in an eucalyptus grove. The girl’s pants were pulled down to make it look like a case of sexual assault and a towel was found around her neck, hinting that she was strangulated, reports said. She died at a hospital.
It is said that 300 meters away from where they found her police found that a pooja had taken place. Panneerselvam, Mookayi and their relative Kumar, conducted the pooja, it was found.
Police said that the trio decided to kill any child which stepped out of the house and were not specific about which child was to be sacrified.
Initially police treated the case as sexual assault. Later, Mookayi was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Her post mortem report is awaited.
On 1 June, Kumar surrendered before police and Panneerselvam was arrested subsequently.