In a horrific incident laying bare the prevalence of superstitious beliefs, some elders of SC Colony in Madhira town enforced their bizarre diktat by forcing an old man to pull out the teeth of his wife on Monday, suspecting the duo of practising sorcery.
The gruesome incident came to light on Tuesday after the video of the incident went viral on social media, sending shockwaves across the border town and elsewhere in the district.
It was a fallout of superstitious beliefs among a section of the local residents, who suspected the old couple of performing “black magic” causing the recent death of a nine-year-old boy of the locality.
Sources said that G. Bujji’s nine-year-old son suddenly died of some “undiagnosed illness” recently.
Bujji and his family members grew suspicious of their neighbours Gaddhala Mohan Rao and Sugunamma, after reportedly finding vermillion and lemon at a tree in front of their house on Monday.
They approached some local elders of the colony, who in turn allegedly raided the house of the couple on Monday and “thrashed” the latter.
They claimed to have found the clothes of the deceased boy packed in a bag and some strange materials used in “witchcraft” at the house of the couple.
The self-proclaimed elders issued a diktat forcing Mohan Rao to pull out the teeth of his wife Sugunamma by branding her as a “sorcerer.”
With blood oozing out of her mouth, Sugunamma along with her husband approached the local police seeking action against the attackers.
Madhira police registered a case and are investigating.
Police officials concerned were not available for their comments.