CHITRADURGA: A person murdered a cobbler here reportedly over an astrologer’s advice to unearth a treasure through human sacrifice.
Police arrested two suspects within 24 hours of the gruesome killing that took place on February 9 in Parashuramapur police station limits near the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.
Police said the victim, 52-year-old Prabhakar, worked as a cobbler at Parashurampur bus stop in Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district. Anand Reddy, the prime accused from Kundurpi village in Andhra Pradesh, worked as a cook at a restaurant in Pavagada, while the second accused, astrologer Ramakrishna, is a resident of Kotegudda village, Tumakuru district.
Ranjith Kumar Bandaru, the SP, said the assailant killed the victim with a machete.
“Prabhakar was killed on astrologer Ramakrishna’s suggestion. Anand, who was going through financial difficulties, consulted Ramakrishna, who advised him to offer blood to goddess Maramma through human sacrifice, saying it would yield gold.”
He further said: “Ramakrishna assured Anand that performing human sacrifice would help unearth some treasure in Parashurampura West. On his advice, Reddy waited for a lone victim on the outskirts of Parashurampur.”
Sharing further details of the crime, the SP said Anand approached Prabhakar while the latter was heading home, offering him a lift on his two-wheeler. Prabhakar accepted the offer and sat on the pillion seat. Thereafter, Anand stopped at an isolated area, claiming he had run out of fuel. He then violently stabbed Prabhakar with a sharp knife. “The astrologer has been arrested on abatement charges,” the SP said.