Woman held for sacrificing 11-yr-old boy

Barti Devi was arrested at her house in the impoverished state of Bihar after villagers spotted the chopped head and hands of a missing boy in a nearby field, Director-General of Police Abhay Upadhyaya told Reuters by telephone.

The boy, Golu Kashuaha, had been missing since October 23 in a village about 40 km south of Patna.

Police said their investigations showed he had been kidnapped by Devi's family, who are also related to the boy.

He was taken to a temple where his head was shaved and he was then sacrificed in a nearby field, police said.

"The boy's body parts were strewn across the field and the killers have confessed they were convinced the sacrifice would ensure a good harvest," Upadhyaya added.

Police are now searching for the rest of Devi's family which has fled the area, he added.

In rural India, dozens of young boys and girls are sacrificed each year by superstitious villagers who think a human sacrifice can help them grow better crops, bring prosperity or ward evil off, police say.