A man and his wife allegedly killed themselves by decapitating themselves using a guillotine-like device, which they created at home, so that they could offer their heads for a sacrificial ritual in Gujarat's Rajkot district, police said on Sunday.
Hemubhai Makwana (38) and his wife Hansaben (35) killed themselves by getting their heads severed by the blade of the device in a hut at their farm in Vinchhiya village, sub-inspector Indrajeetsinh Jadeja of Vinchhiya police station said.
The husband-wife duo executed the plan in such a manner that their heads rolled into the fire altar after getting severed, he said, adding that a suicide note was found at the spot.
"The couple first prepared a fire altar before putting their heads under a guillotine-like mechanism held by a rope. As soon as they released the rope, an iron blade fell on them, severing their heads, which rolled into the fire," Jadeja said.
The ritual was performed between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon when the police were informed, he said, adding that a suicide note was recovered from the spot. The family members of the couple said the duo had been offering prayers in the hut every day since the last one year, he said.
The couple has two children, parents and other relatives living nearby, who learnt about the incident on Sunday morning and informed the police, the official said.
A suicide note was also recovered from the couple's possession, in which they urged their relatives to take care of their parents and children, he said.
A case of accidental death was registered and the bodies were sent for post-mortem, the official added.