Man accused of sorcery beaten to death, set ablaze

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, an auto driver was accused of sorcery, beaten to death and his body set ablaze on a pyre at Adraspalli village in Shamirpet late on Wednesday.

The man identified as B Anjaneyulu, resident of Adraspalli village. According to P V Padmaja, DCP Balanagar, they received a complaint from the victim's brother alleging that his brother Anjaneyulu was missing and by suspecting that some persons might have killed him.

When the Shamirpet police came to know about the rumours that some of the village persons set ablaze a body on a pyre, they rushed to the spot and started searching there. The clues team collected evidences including blood samples which they were found near the pyre.

She said on enquiry they found contradictory statements from different persons. One of them is a woman by name Lakshmi died while undergoing treatment in Osmania General Hospital.

She was ill for the last five years and her body brought to her village on Wednesday and final rites were performed to her at 5 pm. When her family members and relatives reached to the burial site after a few hours of final rites at 7 pm, they noticed a person by name Anjaneyulu, who was rounding around the burning pyre nakedly.

In suspicion that he had killed her with sorcery, the relatives reportedly beat him to death with sticks and his body was thrown on Lakshmi's burning pyre.

DCP Padmaja said they collected the bones from the pyre ashes and sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to reach to a conclusion that whether one body was burnt or two bodies in the pyre.

They are also verifying the phone call data of Anjaneyulu, to analyse as to why he reached the burning pyre site and to whom he spoke lastly. She said teams are formed to nab the suspect Balram, the brother-in-law of deceased Lakshmi and another relative of her.

On the other hand, Anjaneyulu's family members and relatives clarified that the deceased Anjaneyulu did not know any sorcery and he did not kill anybody.

Police by installing picket in the village, are investigating the case in all angles.