IANS

Lucknow, May 21: A man, who allegedly slit his two-year-old daughter's throat in a ritual sacrifice to have a son, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, police said Thursday.

"Lal Bahadur, who was absconding from Wednesday after killing his daughter in the Pokharbhindi village was arrested early Thursday. He was hiding near a culvert in the same village," Inspector Rajiv Singh told IANS by phone. Deoria is about 300 km from here.

Bahadur, 26, confessed that he killed his daughter on the directions of an exorcist, with whom he was in touch for the past one year, Singh said.

Bahadur slit his daughter's throat during a 'pooja' (prayers) he performed inside a secluded hut in the village.

"We have recovered the body of Bahadur's daughter from the hut, where we also found flowers, packets of 'sindur' (vermillion) and other items offered during prayers," said Singh.

According to the villagers, Bahadur performed the sacrifice to have a son. The exorcist is absconding.