A tragic incident unfolded in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, where a 55-year-old woman named Geetamma was beaten to death during an alleged exorcism ritual. The event took place on Monday night when Geetamma’s son, Sanjay, believed his mother was possessed by an evil spirit. Seeking help, he turned to a woman named Asha, who claimed to have the ability to perform exorcisms.

Asha, accompanied by her husband Santosh, visited Geetamma’s home to conduct the ritual. The ordeal was captured on video, showing Geetamma in a semi-conscious state as Asha performed the so-called exorcism. The footage reveals Asha rotating a lemon around Geetamma’s head, making her smell it, and then striking her with it. The ritual escalated as Asha split the lemon and continued to hit Geetamma with it.

The situation took a violent turn when Asha pulled Geetamma by her hair and slapped her multiple times until she fell to the ground. Despite Geetamma’s attempts to defend herself, Asha picked up a stick and repeatedly beat her. This brutal assault lasted from approximately 9:30 pm until 1:00 am. Unfortunately, Geetamma succumbed to her injuries due to the continuous beating.

Following the incident, authorities registered a murder case against Sanjay, Asha, and Santosh. All three have been arrested in connection with the crime. This tragic event highlights the dangers of superstitious practices and the severe consequences they can have.

In a related incident last week in Bihar’s Purnia district, five family members were set ablaze by a mob on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The mob attacked Sita Devi’s household late at night, accusing them of black magic. Despite attempts by Sita Devi’s son, Sonu Kumar, to escape and seek help, the mob brutally assaulted the family and set them on fire.

These incidents underscore the urgent need for awareness and education to combat harmful superstitions and protect vulnerable individuals from such violent acts.