A 55-year-old tribal was allegedly burnt alive after a group of people brutally beat him on suspicion that he practises witchcraft. The incident took place in Puttabandha village in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, September 24.
The family members of deceased Jayaram reached the Dumbriguda police and filed a complaint.
According to the police locals accused Jayaram of practicing black magic, and held him responsible for the death of a minor girl, who recently fell sick and died. Initial investigation indicated that the death may have been the result of a vector-borne disease.
“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 by The News Minute.
The police said that they had registered a case and investigation was underway.
