6-year-old Indian girl gang-raped, lungs removed for black magic

A 6-year-old girl was raped, murdered and her lungs were removed from the corpse to be used in black magic, said Indian police according to media reports. 

The ghastly murder took place in the country's Uttar Pradesh district where, according to police, the victim's lungs were removed so that black magic could be performed so that another woman can conceive a child. 

ASP (Rural) Brajesh Srivastava told media that the alleged killers — Ankul Kuril (20) and Beeran (31) — had gang-raped the 6-year-old girl and then removed her lungs, delivering them to key conspirator Parshuram Kuril. 

The girl had gone missing on Diwali night from the district's Ghatampur area. Following the incident, Parshuram was arrested and his wife was also detained on suspicion that she knew about the crime but did not speak to anyone about it. 

Parshuram, during the start of the investigation, tried to mislead police but after interrogation, broke down and confessed his crime, said police. 

The suspect told police he got married in 1999 but had not had a child so far. He then persuaded his nephew, Ankul and his friend, Beeran, to kidnap the girl and remove her lungs for black magic. 

The heavily drunk suspects, Ankul and Beeran, took the girl to a forest where they allegedly raped the victim before killing her. 

He persuaded his nephew, Ankul, and his friend Beeran, to kidnap the girl and remove her lungs, the ASP said.

The accused have been charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Forensic experts and sniffer dogs were pressed into service to gather scientific evidence to confirm if the girl was killed in an act of black magic.

The girl had gone missing on Saturday evening. Her family members went looking for her in surrounding areas, even the jungle, but were unable to locate her. 

On Sunday morning, villagers discovered her body lying in the forest while they were passing through the area. The girl’s belongings, including her slippers and clothes, were found near a tree.

Uttar Pradesh CM has promised that the case will be heard in a fast-track court so that punishments to the guilty can be expedited. He also promised to help the victim's family by offering them Rs500,000 financial aid.