An eight-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Chatra district was killed during Kali Puja, with police saying it was a ritualistic human sacrifice.
The crime was first made to look like a sexual assault, but after her body was found in a paddy field five days later, the truth began to emerge.
Three people, including the girl's aunt, have been arrested.
Suspects confess and Bihar cleric sought
Investigators say superstition and family disputes led to the killing. The girl's aunt, along with two relatives, allegedly carried out the ritual hoping for spiritual powers.
Police found ritual items and a blood-stained sickle at their home, and discovered that evidence had been faked to mislead them at first.
All three suspects have confessed, and police are now searching for a cleric from Bihar who reportedly trained them for this act.