Mother Attempts Ritual Killing of Daughter at Bengaluru Temple Amid Tragic Family Losses
Mother tries ritual sacrifice of daughter inside Bengaluru temple.
A horrific incident shattered the pre-dawn calm of Harihareshwara Temple in north Bengaluru’s Sampigehalli police limits on Wednesday, when 55-year-old Sujatha allegedly attempted to behead her 26-year-old daughter Ramya with a machete before turning the blade on herself in what authorities fear was a deliberate human sacrifice attempt.
According to police, Sujatha coaxed Ramya to the temple at approximately 3:45 am, claiming an urgent special puja was required to end their family’s misfortunes. The moment Ramya prostrated before the deity in devotion, Sujatha reportedly drew a long machete hidden in her clothing and delivered repeated, ferocious blows targeting her daughter’s neck and shoulders, then immediately slashed her own throat in a calculated sequence.
The silence of the temple was broken by agonised screams that brought local residents and early worshippers running to the spot. They found the mother and daughter collapsed in a large pool of blood near the sanctum sanctorum, the bloodied weapon still lying nearby. Bystanders applied pressure to the deep wounds and arranged emergency transport; both women underwent hours of surgery and are now listed as critical but stable in a private hospital’s intensive care unit.
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Senior officers have revealed that the attack is being treated as a possible ritualistic human sacrifice linked to extreme mental distress. Over the last five to six years, Sujatha lost her husband, mother, three sisters, and, in the most recent tragedies, two infant grandchildren born to Ramya—one two years ago and the second just days before the incident—pushing her into profound depression and possible delusional beliefs about breaking a family curse through blood offering.
The Bengaluru City Police have registered a case under sections for attempted murder, grievous hurt, and abetment to suicide, with further charges likely after statements are recorded. Forensic teams are examining the scene and the weapon, while authorities await medical clearance to interview the survivors. The incident has sent shockwaves through the quiet Agrahara Layout neighbourhood and reignited concern over untreated mental health crises following repeated familial trauma.
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