‘Black magic ritual’ kills woman in Kerala village, uncle arrested

A subsequent probe into her death revealed that she was ‘tortured’ during a black magic ritual.

Two persons were arrested on Monday in connection with the death of a 21-year-old woman who was allegedly subjected to black magic to get rid of a physical ailment. P Athira, a native of Vadasserikkara in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, died last Friday.

The two persons arrested were the girl’s uncle Valsan, a district Congress committee office clerk, and his son-in-law Mithosh. They have been remanded to judicial custody.

The police Athira was brought dead to the government hospital on Friday night. Her parents wanted to take the body back, but the police were alerted about burn injuries on her body.

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A subsequent probe into her death revealed that she was ‘tortured’ during a black magic ritual.

Deputy SP A Santhosh Kumar said these rituals were performed on Athira for three days, during which she was fed only once a day. The woman was already weak and would faint occasionally, he added.

At Valsan’s house, Kumar said, they burned camphor on her palms and kept about 50 lit incense sticks under her chin. “She was then asked to inhale the smoke,” he said.

On Friday, the girl collapsed and was taken to the hospital. The police said she died as the burns on her palms had gotten infected.

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