Ambala: A shopkeeper was allegedly murdered here by a woman who said that a goddess appeared to her in a dream demanding a human sacrifice.

The body of Mahesh Gupta (44) was found at the home of Priya, described by police as the main accused late Wednesday evening. The victim was known to her who had worked at his store previously.

Police on Friday arrested three persons for the murder – Priya, her brother Hemant and sister-in-law Preeti.

Gupta, a resident of Kacha Bazaar Ambala Cantt and owner of a shopping store here, had injuries in his legs and behind the ears, they said.

Police said interrogating the accused revealed that the shopkeeper was murdered as a human sacrifice.

Priya told the police that for the last four to five days, a goddess was appearing in her dreams demanding human sacrifice.

The victim’s brother, in his complaint, said Gupta considered Priya as his sister and had gone to deliver some items from his store to her residence on Wednesday.

When he failed to return and did not answer phone calls, the family searched for him and approached the police.

Later, Gupta's scooter was spotted near Priya's house and they came to know about the murder.

Gupta’s brother said when he and some others knocked on the door of Priya's house, there was no response.

When they forced open the door, they saw that Priya, Preeti and Hemant were trying to drag Gupta who was unconscious on the floor, with a scarf tied to his neck, the complainant said.

Gupta was sent to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. Police reached the spot later and registered a case against all three accused.

Dilip Kumar, SHO of Padav Police Station, said that the accused will be produced in a court and their custody will be sought to recover some items related to the crime.