Balasore, Feb. 9: Police took custody of two self-styled sages after residents accused them of planning to sacrifice a three-month-old girl near the famous Shiv shrine of Panchalingeshwar last night.

The accused persons have been identified as Kiran Giri, 60, from Hardwar in Uttarakhand and Nandu Giri, 42, from J.P. Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Residents were alarmed after hearing the screams of an infant. When they went to check, they found the infant lying on the ground, crying, while the accused performing a puja in front of a pyre. They also found a knife nearby.

Apprehending that the duo were preparing to sacrifice the child, the residents immediately raised an alarm. The police reached the spot and rescued the baby girl and took the accused in their custody.

The infant's identity is yet to be established and she is recuperating at a childcare centre in Kuruda on the outskirts of Balasore town.

The arrested men claimed they were Naga (naked) sadhus and had been camping at Panchalingeswar for the past couple of months on the invitation of local self-styled spiritual leader Dibakar Giri, 45. They were staying in a room arranged by Giri.

Denying the allegation of human sacrifice, the duo said they were performing a routine yagna. However, they had no answer when asked about the antecedents of the infant.

Giri is at large. The police nabbed one of his key disciples, Babu Swain, 32, of Kahalia village, located close to the Panchalingeswar temple.

Police officer S.R. Mohapatra said: "It cannot be conclusively proved that the two were going to commit child sacrifice. But their activities were suspicious. They are yet to reveal how the infant came to their ritual site."

The three detained men will be forwarded to court after interrogation and will be charged with kidnapping."