When speaking with Raja Raghuvanshi's sister Shrasti Raghuwanshi on Wednesday, anchor Akanksha Swarup had made the contentious comments.
On Thursday, CNN News18 apologized for one of its anchors' startling comments that claimed human sacrifice was performed at Kamakhya Mandir and connected it to the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi. The broadcaster said it had no intention at all and described it as a total error of judgment.
CNN News18 posted on X, “In one of the shows aired yesterday, in the context of Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, CNN News18 anchor referred erroneously to ‘human sacrifice’ at the holy Kamakhya Temple in Assam. This was a complete error of judgment. We had no intention whatsoever. We apologize profusely to anyone whose religious sentiments are hurt after these comments. Further, we have deleted any reference to such a clip from all our platforms. We deeply regret these comments and apologise profusely for the same.”
Anchor Akanksha Swarup made the contentious comments during a Wednesday on-air conversation with Raja Raghuvanshi's sister Shrasti Raghuwanshi. As the honeymoon pair had visited Kamakhya Mandir in Guwahati before traveling to Meghalaya, where Raja was murdered by his wife Sonam with the assistance of three Madhya Pradeshi attendants, Shrasti Raghuwanshi told her that it could also be an instance of human sacrifice.
Akanksha Swarup had said, “It has been said that it can be a case of human sacrifice. We have talked to Raja Raghuvanshi’s brother, who said that this can be called a human sacrifice because he was stabbed from behind and he was also had a garland on him. And Because they had visited Kamakhya, where human sacrifice takes places or sacrifices are made.”
The anchor then asked, “So do these things raise a suspicion that this can be a tantric murder?” Raja's sister responded to this leading question by saying that she is unable to comment on it, but she did add that she is aware that human sacrifice takes place at Kamakhya.
Since there is no human sacrifice at Kamakhya, CNN News18 anchor Akanksha Swarup made this utterly untrue claim. It is true that during Durga Puja, a variety of animals and birds are sacrificed at the Shakti Peeth.
Human sacrifice is obviously illegal and prohibited throughout India. As a result, the anchor's assertion that this frequently occurs at Kamakhya has caused anger in Assam.