Indian authorities have arrested five individuals in connection with a 2019 killing inside a Hindu temple that they have called a human sacrifice. A 64-year-old woman who had visited the temple in Guwahati was decapitated with a machete and her body was found inside the temple.

Authorities made no progress in the case because nobody knew who the woman was. But when the body was finally identified in January of this year, the case reopened and led to the arrest of the five people involved in the sacrifice ritual.

"The five planned the killing of the woman," Guwahati police commissioner Diganta Barah said on Tuesday. "A total of 12 people took part."

Barah said the alleged ringleader, Pradeep Pathak, 52, had orchestrated the killing as part of a religious rite to mark the anniversary of his brother's death.

"The accused apparently believed that the sacrifice would appease the soul of the deceased," he added.

While police have brought in the five people who planned the killing, the search is still underway for the remaining seven people who were involved in the murderous ritual.

In India, these sacrificial killings are still somewhat common, with just over 100 cases taking place between 2014-2021.