Anantapur, July 16: In what is suspected to be a case of human sacrifice, three people were found dead inside a temple in Andhra Pradesh. The incident took place at Shiva temple in Anantapur district. A priest was also among the dead. The matter came to fore on Monday morning after devotees saw the bodies at the temple premises and immediately alerted the police.

The deceased were identified as Sivarami Reddy (70), his sister K Kamalamma (75) and a devotee named Satya Lakshmamma (70). Sivarami Reddy was a priest. Their throats were slit with a sharp weapon. The blood was poured over the Shivalinga idol and the anthills located near the temple, reported Times of India. The victims hailed from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Human Sacrifice Attempt: Injured Science Teacher's Son Dies.

The deceased had gone to the local Lord Shiva temple in Korthikota village to spend a night there in order to fulfil a vow. Following the triple murder, Anantapur SP Satya Yesubabu visited the temple. He said treasure hunters could be behind the crime. An investigation was under and police were probing all angles including human sacrifice.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2019 07:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).