Devotee offers tongue

AN INDIAN farmer was in a critical condition last Sunday (11) after slicing off his tongue as a sacrificial offering at a Hindu temple, police said.

The 40-year-old’s act of self-mutilation with a pocket knife triggered panic among crowds at the popular temple in Uttar Pradesh last Saturday (10).

Investigating officer Abhilash Tiwari said the man and his wife performed rituals before he severed his tongue and placed it at the temple’s door. “Our officers at the temple rushed him to the hospital with the help of other devotees,” Tiwari said.

The wife said her husband “sacrificed” his tongue to appease a goddess, Tiwari said.