Indian man beheads 9 year old daughter with an axe to insure a good harvest

Soldato
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
5,780
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1251057


a 55 year old farmer from Adapathar village in Sambalpur district of India chopped off his 9 year old daughter's head with an axe and collected her blood in a steel pot.


he did this, because according to traditional beliefs, Mother Earth can be wooed into giving a good harvest through human sacrifice.



--------------------------------------------------------------------



In a gruesome incident, a man chopped off the head of his nine-year-old granddaughter to woo "Mother Earth" for a good harvest this kharif season. Traditional belief has it that human sacrifice on Akshaya Tritiya translates into a good harvest.

With this belief, Rajesh Hembram, 55, a farmer, beheaded his nine-year-old granddaughter Berenika Kandulana with an axe on Sunday afternoon and collected her blood in a steel pot. The incident took place at Adapathar village in Sambalpur district.
Akshaya Trutiya marks the beginning of the kharif season. Preparations for the famous Ratha Yatra also begin from this day.

Berenika was the daughter of Rajesh's daughter. He adopted her after his son-in-law died six years back. The girl was studying in Class IV.

Rajesh has three acres of land and he had been preparing to start cultivation on Monday. All his relatives had gone to the church for Sunday morning prayers. In the afternoon, Rajesh sent his wife to a nearby shop to bring grams (pea) for him. As soon as she left, Rajesh took his granddaughter to the store where paddy is kept. He forced a piece of cloth into her mouth and chopped off her head using an axe.

He collected the girl's blood in a steel pan and left the mutilated body in the store. On returning from the shop, Rajesh's wife was shocked to see the horrifying incident. She screamed and people rushed to the spot. Locals handed Rajesh over to the police who seized the steel pan and axe. Rajesh confessed to his crime.
__________________
 
Surely you'd have to wait until the harvest results come in before deciding whether this was harsh.......:eek:

If a good harvest saves a hundred people from starvation and all...greater good etc etc

Fertiliser probably a better way of doing things though
 
What do you expect? There are many remote areas throughout the world which have bizarre beliefs. If you visit remote villages in the Indian subcontinent you'd be surprised at some of the superstitious beliefs held.
 
Of course, everyone should have seen the old "beheading nine year old to ensure a good harvest" one coming. *kicks self and other OCUK'ers for being so stupid*

I'm just saying that I am not surprised this happened.

When I visited Bangladesh a couple of years ago, the effort the government puts in to stop villagers from doing by our standards stupid things is quite remarkable. The way anyone with mental illnesses is treated will shock you. India also has much more remote regions.

Its simply a lack of education that is the problem. Particularly amongst older people who may hold beliefs that are hundreds of years old, growing up in an era without mobile phones, tvs, radios etc.

Also to be fair, in this case the other villagers were outraged.
 
Last edited:
I'll add that to my list of 'places 9 year olds don't want to visit' along with the moors, Ian Huntley's bathroom and Butlins.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom