Two men have been arrested for allegedly killing a 7-year-old girl and cutting out her liver in a ritual sacrifice to ensure a better harvest, police in central India say.

A senior police officer in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state said Lalita Tati disappeared in October and her dismembered remains were found a week later.

Rajendra Narayan Das said police arrested the men last week. They told officers they killed the girl to appease their gods and get a better harvest.

The men are both "tribals", which in India refers to the region's indigenous people. Most such people are mired in poverty and illiteracy.

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