Mumbai: A teenage boy from Maharashtra's Sangli district died allegedly after he was severely beaten up by a witch doctor, who claimed that the 14-year old boy was possessed by demon.
The boy identified as Aryan Deepak Landge, lived in Kavathe Mahankal of Sangli district, died of injuries on May 20. The shocking incident came to light after anti-superstition activists approached the police.
Boy was suffering from fever from several days
Activists of Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti work towards the cause of eradicating superstitions among villagers. The boy was suffering from fever for the past several days and was not getting better inspite of treatment.
This is when the family decided to take him to the witch doctor identified as Appasaheb Kamble in Karnataka's Shirgur.
Claiming that the boy was posessed by demon, Kamble beat up the boy saying that it would relieve him. The injuries sustained during the beating was severe and the boy had to rushed to a hospital in Miraj where he died during treatment.
A complaint was lodged by the police after activists of Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti approached the family and asked them to take action against the witch doctor.
Due to the lack of anti-superstition legislation in Karnataka, police registered a Zero FIR under Indian Penal Code section 304 (causing death by negligence) against the witch doctor.
A Zero FIR (first information report) allows any police to accept a complaint and forward it to the appropriate station for action.
The case will now be probed by the Karnataka police, police said.
