Kottayam: A woman was reportedly subjected to hours of physical and mental torture by her husband and in-laws during black magic rituals in Kerala’s Kottayam district. Police have arrested three people in connection with the shocking incident.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Akhildas (26) of Manarcad, his father Das (55), and Sivadas (54).

According to the police, Akhildas and the victim, who were in love, got married and began living with his family. Trouble began when Akhildas’s mother accused the woman of being possessed by the spirits of deceased relatives. Following this, on November 2, a local pujari known as Shivan Thirumeni from Thiruvalla, was brought to the house to perform rituals.

From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the woman was allegedly subjected to horrifying abuse — forced to consume alcohol, smoke beedis, swallow ash, and endure burn injuries, all in the name of exorcism.

The ordeal left the woman in a disturbed mental state. Her father, upon learning of the incident, lodged a complaint with the Manarcad police, leading to the arrests.

The main accused, Sivadas, was nabbed from Muthoor, Thiruvalla, after going into hiding and switching off his phone. Police are still searching for others associated with the crime, including the woman’s mother-in-law.

The arrests were made by a team led by Manarcad SHO Anil George, SI Ash T. Chacko, and officers Radhakrishnan, Anoop, Vijesh, and Subin P. Saji. The accused were produced before the Kottayam Judicial First-Class Magistrate and remanded to custody.