Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Dec 22: In his report submitted to Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner of Mangalore division, Prabhulinga Kavalikatti, has said that as per the opinion of the local people, young girl, Priyanka, had been sacrificed in Yeyyady relating to a ritual in sorcery. The report was prepared and submitted by him on Tuesday December 21, after visiting the spot and holding consultations with the people there.

In his report, he said that the report was prepared by pooling together the opinions of the people residing in the area. “People believe that the child had been sacrificed for witchcraft. The neighbours did not have a harmonious relationship with the accused, Kamalaksha Purusha, and Chandrakala since several years,” he said in the report.

About steps envisaged to stop recurrence of such incidents, he has suggested keeping constant vigil on Daivasthanas and temples, conducting of temple visits by endowment department officials once in three months, and setting up a system of exchange of information with voluntary organizations and anganwadi workers. The policemen also have been asked to spread awareness about such practices in their mass contact programmes that are held regularly, Kavalikatti said. About the allegation that the policemen would have been able to save the child, if they had visited the spot promptly, he said that this issue has been left to be decided by the investigating officer. Another suggestion he has made is to spread information through information department at the state level.

In the meanwhile, the policemen said that during interrogation, the accused have confessed that they had poured boiling water on Priyanka before she was sacrificed. The policemen expect to receive post mortem report to corroborate this claim, in a couple of days. There were burn injury marks on the back and shoulder of the girl’s body.