Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh): A 33-year-old childless woman was allegedly tortured to death in a village of this district by an exorcist. The exorcist branded the woman’s body, including her private parts, with a hot iron. The exorcist also beat her up with lathi to treat her infertility, police said Monday.
Victim Sharda Devi of the Kamhara village in the district was admitted to the hospital February 27. She died Sunday during treatment, Puwayan Circle Officer Navneet Naik said.
Sharda was married to Sarvesh of the same village but the couple did not have any child. On her husband’s insistence, she took the help of her brother-in-law Durvesh who also practised exorcism. Durvesh convinced the family that Sharda was under the influence of a witch. So she needed to be beaten up to be rid of the evil spirit.
Accordingly, Durvesh allegedly first branded various parts of the woman’s body including private parts with hot iron tongs February 24. As she cried in pain, he brutally beat Sharda up with lathi, saying all the pain is being inflicted on the witch, said police.
Following the woman’s death, an FIR was lodged in Puwayan police station against five persons. Among them was the exorcist. The woman’s parents’ lodged the complaint.
Police is probing the matter and trying to arrest the accused, said Naik.