In a bizarre incident, an elderly priest allegedly offered 'human sacrifice' to appease the gods and put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. The incident was reported from Odisha's Cuttack on Wednesday night.
According to media reports, the accused, 72-year-old Sansari Ojha, murdered the victim, identified as Saroj Pradhan, with a chopper on the premises of Maa Bramhanidei Temple in the district, believing that the act would put an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
The accused beheaded the victim inside the restroom and locked it from the outside after the crime. He then went to the police station and surrendered and confessed to the act.
“The priest beheaded Pradhan with the help of a chopper inside his restroom adjacent to the temple," The New Indian Express quoted sources as saying.
According to the TNIE report, the accused claimed that he was ordained by the gods to commit the act as a means to put an end to the pandemic.
The police rushed to the spot and found the body in the restroom.
However, media reports reveal that the accused had a property dispute with the victim. It has also been revealed that the elderly man was inebriated when he committed the crime.
Odisha, meanwhile, has reported over 1,500 COVID-19 cases and the death toll in the state due to the pandemic stands at seven.
