5 men arrested for using 10-yr-old boy as human sacrifice

Five men in the South-Central Asian country of Nepal, have been arrested for allegedly killing a 10 year-old boy as a sacrifice so that the sick son of one of the men could get well.

The murder of the little boy identified as Jivan, has drawn international condemnation with human rights groups calling for the death penalty for the evil men who perpetrated such an act on the innocent boy.

The boy's mother has told the police that he young son was lured away from their village with the promise of biscuits and the equivalent of 49 cents.

The incident took place in Kudiya village in the Nawalparasi district bordering India, which is home to some of the country's poorest and uneducated people, often known as untouchables in the traditional caste system.

Police say that four people have confessed to their role in the murder of 10-year-old  while a fifth man, Kodai Harijan, also admitted he took part in the crime. He said he was told by a shaman (voodoo priest) that the sacrifice would help his ill son.

The body of the victim was found on July 24 on the outskirts of Kudiya village, after he had been declared missing for three days.

Police superintendent, Nal Prasad Upadhyaya, who headed the investigation, told CNN that Harijan admitted committing the gruesome crime with his relatives after consulting the priest.

According to testimony given to police, Harijan and his relatives found the child playing with friends in the village and lured him away by giving him a pack of biscuits and promising him 50 rupees (49 cents).

The boy was taken to a temple on the outskirts of the village, where they performed a religious ritual. He was then taken to a field nearby, where three people held him down as another slit his throat. When police found him, the boy's head was almost severed from his body.

Eleven people in total, including the holy man, have been arrested for their involvement, with the perpetrators facing a life sentence. At least five have confessed to their part in the killing.