CHENNAI: Panic gripped residents of Anichampalayam near Paramathi Velur in Namakkal district on Sunday night (August 31) after locals spotted a group burning what they believed to be a newborn’s body in a graveyard, sparking suspicions of human sacrifice, Daily Thanthi reported.

Villagers, who had gone to immerse Ganesh idols in the Cauvery, said they saw five people, including two women, pour petrol and set the body on fire. Patterns in yellow and red powder were also found at the site, they alleged. Revenue officials inspected the site on Monday morning and confirmed signs of burning, the report added.

However, Paramathi Velur Inspector Indirani later clarified that the case was not linked to human sacrifice. She said inquiries with a private hospital revealed the remains were of a three-and-a-half-month-old aborted foetus, cremated in the graveyard by family members. “The foetus was burnt in the graveyard. Inquiries were done with doctors and the concerned family to rule out foul play. It is not a case of human sacrifice, so no case was filed,” she said.

(With Bureau inputs)