MEDAK: In a blood-chilling act, a 50-year-old woman, D Muttavva, was burnt alive by some villagers of Katriyal in Ramayampet mandal in Medak district on Thursday night, suspecting that she was practising black magic. This comes close on the heels of a similar incident in Inugurthi mandal of Mahabubabad district.
Police have so far detained five of the six persons who were responsible for the murder. Cops said that after a child fell ill in the village in Medak district recently, six people from the area committed the crime.
The villagers alleged that the child fell ill due to Muttavva (50) performing black magic. According to the Ramayampet circle inspector, on Thursday night, Pochavva, Radha, Latha, Lakshmi, Murali, Ramaswami, Ravi and some others dragged Muttavva out of her house around 10 pm in Katriyal village.
They beat her up severely even when she was pleading her innocence. In the process, Muttavva collapsed due to head injury.
Not satisfied, the villagers then poured petrol and set her on fire.
The villagers also assaulted her son Ravi who tried to save her. The Ramayampet police, learning about the incident, rushed to the village and moved Muttavva to the Ramayampet government hospital for treatment but she died shortly after admission.
Balaiah, Muttavva’s husband, said that after finding his wife alone in the house, the accused dragged her out and set her on fire. He said though she had pleaded with them that she did not know any black magic, they did not listen.
Ravi said that they beat his mother and set her on fire in front of his eyes and added that no villager came to her rescue even though she was screaming for help. When he tried to save her, they attacked him too.
District SP D Uday Kumar Reddy visited the village on Friday morning and spoke to the locals and the victim’s family members.
He told media persons that those responsible for burning Muttavva alive will be severely punished. He regretted that superstitions were still swaying the emotions of people even in these modern days. He said that the police were campaigning against superstitions through the cultural department.
Uday Kumar said the police could have prevented this incident if they had known a day earlier that the Muttavva family was suspected of practising black magic. A police picket has now been set up in the village.