Man burnt alive on suspicion of black magic, say police

The incident happened at Adraspalli village of Shamirpet block on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

A 24-year old man was allegedly beaten and burnt alive on the pyre of a woman by her relatives who suspected him to have performed sorcery on her in Telangana’s Medchal district on Wednesday night, the police said.

Anjaneyulu went missing in the evening and his footwear was found near the pyre of Lakshmi, who was cremated in the evening (HT FILE)

The incident happened at Adraspalli village of Shamirpet block on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

According to Shamirpet police inspector B Naveen Reddy, family members of Boyini Anjaneyulu, an unemployed youth of Adraspalli, lodged a complaint stating that he was beaten up and burnt alive allegedly by the kin of Gara Lakshmi (45), a housewife from the same village, on the suspicion that he had performed black magic on her that led to her sudden death on Wednesday morning.

Anjaneyulu went missing in the evening and his footwear was found near the pyre of Lakshmi, who was cremated in the evening. “She had been ailing for quite some time but her family members suspected that Anjaneyulu had practiced black magic on her,” his family members told the police.

On finding the footwear of the youth, the family members pulled out his half-burnt body from the pyre and informed the police, who rushed to the spot and sent the body to the local hospital for examination.

“Based on the complaint, we are questioning the accused. The investigation is on,” Reddy said.