Man accused of witchcraft burnt alive in Visakhapatnam district

A man, accused of practicing witchcraft and black magic, was burnt alive in Visakhapatnam district on Tuesday. Killo Jayaram, a 55-year-old tribal, was a farmer residing in Puttabandha village which comes under Dumbriguda police jurisdiction.

The local villagers held him responsible for the death of a girl and another 10-year-old girl falling ill before setting him ablaze. On Wednesday, Jayaram’s family members had lodged a police complaint, thereby bringing the act to public notice. The case has been registered and investigations are on to nab the accused.

Reportedly, the family of the 10-year-old girl had approached the village Panchayat, in Visakhapatnam district, as she was suffering from certain health issues. They had accused Jayaram of performing black magic on her and believed him to be a witch. The Panchayat had also questioned the girl who revealed that the accused had recently appeared in her dreams. On her word, the villagers started believing that Jayaram was practising black magic, though the latter was claiming to be innocent.

“In the panchayat, when the village heads questioned the girl, she reportedly said that she saw Jayaram in her dreams. Believing her words, they started to strongly believe that Jayaram was performing black magic in the village. They did not believe in Jayaram who pleaded innocence,” a police officer was quoted as saying.

Subsequently, the girl’s father, uncle and three others started thrashing Jayaram. His family members were also assaulted. This ended with Jayaram being covered in fuel and burnt alive. The police, however, feel that both girls were suffering from vector-borne diseases.

Earlier, a couple was accused of practising black magic and was attacked by people in Visakhapatnam.