Businessman 'sacrificed' in MP for lure of buried treasure, 3 arrested

Raisen, Jul 14 (PTI) Three persons were arrested on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh's Raisen district for allegedly murdering a 42-year-old man as they hoped to find buried treasure by committing a human sacrifice, police said. The body of Vijay Jain, a resident of Gairatganj, was found on the river bank near Parasia, about 6 km away, on Monday. Next to it was a platform built for performing puja, said Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) Sonali Gupta. Jain had gone missing on July 7, the official said. A special team led by Gairatganj Police Station in-charge D P Lohiya was formed to search for Jain, but no trace of him was found. On Monday, police received information about a body buried in the mud on the river bank. It turned out to be Jain. Probe found that the last person he had met was Prahlad Sahu, a resident of Hinotia Khas. After being interrogated, Sahu confessed to the crime. He knew Jain and the two often discussed how one could find buried treasure through occult practices, Sahu told police. Sahu himself practiced tantric rituals and suspected that there was a buried treasure near the Mata temple on the banks of the Parasia River, he told police. Driven by greed, Sahu, along with his son Tikam Sahu and one Karim Khan, a resident of Uddammau, took Jain to the Parasia River. After performing rituals, they allegedly tied his hands and legs and killed him with an axe. The axe, a shovel, motorcycle and mobile phones of the three accused have been seized and further probe was on, the SDOP said. PTI COR BNS MAS KRK