An Indian couple was found dead by using a guillotine-like mechanism, in what seems to be suicide, as reported by CBS News.

(Photo : GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP via Getty Images)
FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA: TO GO WITH AFP STORY EX FRANSCHHOEK BY MARIETTE LEROUX A guillotine is displayed after the staged Guillotining of a Social Evil , 14 July 2007,during the celebrations for Bastille day in Franschoek, South Africa.

Hemubhai Makwana, 38, and Hansaben, 35 both died by decapitation after using a homemade bladed mechanism in a hut on their farm in Gujarat.

There was a fire altar, which seemed to be prepared before the act. According to the police, the couple put their heads under a guillotine-like mechanism held by a rope. Once the rope was released, the iron blade fell on them, which severed their heads and then rolled into the fire.

The Significance of Fire

Fire is sacred in hinduism and plays a crucial role in some workshop rituals. Apparently, the couple designed the device used in their beheading in a way that their heads would roll into the fire altar, which would complete a sacrificial ritual.

A suicide note was found addressed to family members. The couple had two children and their parents.

According to family members, the couple offered prayers in the hut every day for the last year.

Also read: India Opposes Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage

Ritual Human Sacrifices

Ritual human sacrifices are uncommon in India. However, most known cases of human sacrifice involve people killing others to please gods instead of themselves.

It can be recalled that early this month, five men were arrested in India for murdering a woman in 2019 inside a Hindu temple in Guwahati, in what was said to be a case of a ritual human sacrifice.

Human sacrifice is a heinous practice that has been performed in various parts of the world for centuries. One such place where human sacrifice rituals have been reported is India. Despite being illegal, some remote tribes and cults in India continue the gruesome practice of sacrificing human beings as a form of worship or for other beliefs.

These sacrifices are often made in the name of a deity or to appease a spirit or demon. They are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity, and protection to the community or group. The victims are usually chosen based on their physical appearance or status, and they are often subjected to torture and other cruel rituals before their sacrifice.

One of the most notorious cases of human sacrifice in India was reported in 2003 in the state of Himachal Pradesh. A cult leader and his followers were accused of sacrificing dozens of men, women, and children as part of their rituals. The victims were reportedly lured to the cult with promises of wealth and blessings, only to be brutally murdered in the name of the cult's deity.

In some parts of India, animal sacrifices are still common, and there have been cases where humans have been substituted for animals in these rituals.

Despite the efforts of the Indian government to eradicate these practices, they continue to occur in some remote areas where law enforcement is weak or non-existent. Many of these cults and tribes operate in secret, and it is difficult to track down their activities.

Related article: India: Apartment Block Collapses; 3 Dead, Over Two Dozen Trapped