2 Children Dead In UP's Saharanpur, Family Suspects "Tantric Sacrifice"

Two children were found dead under suspicious circumstances in the Deoband area of this Uttar Pradesh district, police said Friday.

Their family members claimed the children were killed as part of a Tantric ritual, they added.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain said Dev (11) and his 9-year-old cousin Mahi had gone to a temple outside their village in Bhayal on Thursday.

"When they did not return by late night, the family began a search. Around midnight, the children's bodies were found on the roadside, prompting villagers to notify the police," Mr Jain said.

The police, who arrived at the scene with a forensic team, noted that both the bodies showed signs of broken bones, indicating possibility of a road accident.

Their bodies have been sent for a postmortem, Mr Jain said.

However, the incident has stirred anger among the villagers, who blocked the Deoband-Nanota road, alleging that the cousins were killed as part of a Tantric ritual.

Local authorities assured the villagers of a thorough investigation into the incident.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)