Elderly woman dies after brutal ‘exorcism’ ritual in Karnataka; son among 3 booked

Shivamogga, Karnataka: An elderly woman in Shivamogga died after being brutally assaulted during a purported exorcism ritual carried out by her son and two others, according to a report by NDTV.

The incident took place on Monday and has resulted in a murder case being registered against the trio, including the woman’s son.

The victim, identified as Geetamma, was reportedly believed by her family to be possessed by an evil spirit. Her son, Sanjay, enlisted the help of a local woman, who claimed to have the ability to perform a ritual to cleanse his mother of the supposed possession. The sorcerer and her husband visited Geetamma’s home to carry out the ritual, which turned violent.

According to the report, disturbing footage of the incident has emerged online. The video shows Geetamma in a semi-conscious state, her hair dishevelled, as the sorcerer performs a ritual involving a lemon. In the clip, Asha is seen circling the lemon around the woman’s head, then striking her with it, splitting it open, and forcefully rubbing the halves into her scalp. The ritual reportedly lasted for several hours, during which Geetamma was subjected to continuous assault, leading to her death.

Investigations are underway to determine the full circumstances of the assault and the events leading to Geetamma’s death.