In a horrific incident, a 35-year-old man, who was out on bail, allegedly beheaded two tribal children at a village in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said on Friday.
The headless bodies of an 11-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were found buried under a pile of sand near the accused's house in Semarhat village.
Police refuted the villagers' claims that it was a case of human sacrifice.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Vipul Shukla, said the accused was out on bail when he allegedly committed the crime.
"The accused used to run a shop in his house. When the girl arrived there on Wednesday night, he tried to abuse her and the boy reached there by chance. He took them inside his house and beheaded them with an axe. The weapon has been recovered from his house," Shukla said.
The accused, who was on run, has been arrested, police said, adding that he has been admitted to Sadar Hospital after he showed signs of mental illness.
Police said the accused had allegedly killed his brother-in-law and uncle in 2009 over some dispute.
The torsos of the two children were handed over to their families after post-mortem examination.
(PTI)
