Kalakkad police have nabbed three persons, including a tantrik (black magician), for allegedly attempting to offer human sacrifice to retrieve buried treasure.

Krana Rajan, 55, of Dohnavur near Kalakkad approached Parvathi, 70, of Sadaiyamaankulam and told her that she would get treasure worth several crores of rupees lying under her house if she could sacrifice a rooster and a black cat after performing special puja in her house. She agreed to it and Krana Rajan reportedly took ₹2 lakh from her in several installments to perform the puja.

When Parvathi passed on the information to her foster son Kumaresan, he too was lured by the promise of the tantrik.

After Kumaresan handed over the sacrificial bird and animal to Krana Rajan, the puja started on Sunday night in Parvathi’s house. A pit was dug in the bedroom and the rooster was sacrificed. Krana Rajan then took the cat from a gunny bag, but it escaped. The tantrik told Kumaresan to bring one of his two sons to be sacrificed to get the treasure.

Since Kumaresan, who was under the influence of alcohol, was unable to take a decision, Krana Rajan tried to snatch the two-year-old boy from Kumaresan’s wife, who managed to run out of the house with both children. As she screamed for help, neighbours rushed to the spot. They thrashed Krana Rajan and handed him to Kalakkad police, who also picked up Kumaresan and Parvathi for interrogation.

Further investigations are on.