Man, 3 others held for bid to sacrifice teenage daughter

The father and step-mother of a 16-year-old girl and two others were arrested today for attempt to sacrifice the teenager under the faith that they would strike a treasure.
On a tip-off that the girl's father, Ravichandran, had made arrangements, including sacrificial pyre, believing the advice of a tantric, police rushed to his house here in Tiruchirappalli District.
They arrested Ravichandran, his second wife Rani, her father and another relative. However, the tantric and his six assistants, who had conducted a homam at the house last night, managed to escape, police inspector Chezhian said.
Ravichandran was acting according to the advice of the tantric who had said he would get a treasure of gold if he sacrificed his daughter and conducted a homam.

Police are looking for the tantric and his assistants. The girl told the police she suspected that her step-mother wanted to kill her under the pretext of sacrificing her to get treasure.