50 Human Skulls, Bones Recovered From Man Traveling In Train

A man who was traveling with bones and skeletons in a train was arrested at a railway station in the Indian state of Bihar on Monday. The man is suspected to be a part of an international racket involved in smuggling human corps.

Sanjay Prasad, 29, was traveling in Balia-Sealdah Express on Monday. He was arrested at the Chhapra station during a routine checking against liquor smuggling by the Government Railway Police.

“During a routine checking against liquor smuggling near the inquiry counter, the GRP personnel spotted suspicious movement of Sanjay. He was detained and his bag opened,” Chhapra GRP Station House Officer Suman Prasad Singh said, The Times Of India reported.

Nearly 50 human skeletons including 16 human skulls and 34 femurs were recovered from his possession. Prasad told officials he had collected the consignment from another person and boarded the train. He said he was on his way to catch another bus when the police stopped him.

Officials said Prasad was questioned and his mobile contacts were searched to find links of other persons involved in the smuggling.

"Some human bones were also found in his bag, which led us to probe further and arrest him. The bones were being smuggled from Balia in Uttar Pradesh," Sonepur deputy superintendent of police (rail) Mohammad Tanvir said, DNA India reported.

He added that one cell phone, one SIM card with a Nepal number, Nepal and Bhutan currencies and several ATM cards were seized from Prasad. Two identity cards with different addresses were also found. While one had an address of Paharpur, Bihar, the other was issued from New Jalpaiguri in the state of West Bengal.

“The GRP will seek the remand of the arrested person when he is produced in a court on Wednesday,” Tanvir said, local daily Hindustan Times reported.

Prasad has reportedly admitted the skeletons were bought from Balia in Uttar Pradesh and were meant to be smuggled to Bhutan. These skeletons would be used for black magic and occult rituals, he said, adding he had sent such consignments to Bhutan twice earlier. He, however, refused to give out details of the prices at which the skeletons were bought and sold.

“He confessed that he used to sell the bones to tantriks at high costs at those places, pointing at the fact that the smuggling racket has national and international links," Tanvir said.

Another officer, on condition of anonymity, said there is huge demand for skeletons among medical students and the man is being questioned to find out the persons involved in the smuggling of skeletons.

“The seizure of foreign currency is a definite indication that the racket may have its tentacles spread to foreign countries,” the officer said.