A black magician Vasanthi and her aide Murugayi were arrested by the Pudukkottai police on Thursday for the murder of a 13-year-old girl in Gandharvakottai. On Tuesday, the girl's father was arrested and the police said it was a case of 'human sacrifice'. The women who allegedly told the father, Paneerselvam, to carry this henious crime for his prosperity, were arrested on Thursday.

The 13-year-old was murdered on May 18 in a eucalyptus grove near her house in Nodiyur village, Gandharvakkottai.

After arresting the father and Kumar, his aide, the eight police teams led by SP Arun Sakthikumar were on the lookout for Vasanthi and Murugayi. Police sources say they were interrogated for three days by the police before their arrest.

"We wanted to find out the other places where they conducted such black magic and conducted poojas. We found out that they have duped people in other districts too like Sivagangai, Madurai, Virudhunagar and Ramnad," said a police officer.

A case has been filed under section 307 r/w 12 of POCSO, 147, 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

The police say they have caught all the accused in the case. One of the accused, Mookayi, the second wife of Paneerselvam, died on May 30 and the reason is being determined.