Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

New lease of life for damned woman

By Our Staff Reporter

KARIMNAGAR DEC. 13. The Jammikunta police on Saturday restored a 75-year-old woman to her village Deshrajpalli village of Kamalapur mandal, who was ostracised by villagers who had branded her a sorceress.

According to police sources, life became miserable for Akoji Eshwaramma (75), who lost her husband 20 years ago, after she was branded a sorcerer. Villagers thrashed her severely by tying her hands and demolished her small hut and boycotted her. In the past one year, Eshwaramma's own brother had been campaigning in the village against his sister.

Later, another villager, Thirupathaiah, had also branded woman a sorceress and held her responsible for his wife's death. In reality, Thirupathaiah's wife committed suicide by consuming poison as she had been ailing for some time. On Friday, Sadaiah of the village alleged that his wife was suffering from some injury because of witchcraft by the woman.

In the wake of these incidents, Sadaiah and his wife, Aruna, Raju, Thirupathaiah, Ilaiah and others had dragged the old woman from her small hut and thrashed her brutally by tying to a pole. They also left the woman on the outskirts and warned of serious consequences if she dared come back.

A distraught Eshwaramma went to her daughter's house in Guduru village and took shelter. Police who got the information rushed to the village this morning. The Jammikunta CI, N. Sanjeeva Rao, visited the Guduru village and took the woman and bought her to Deshrajpally and organised a meeting in the village educating people that there was no witchcraft in this age of science and technology.

The CI informed the sarpanch, Tirupathi Raju, to take the responsibility of the woman. The police also donated Rs. 1,000 to the woman and assured to construct the small hut which was demolished by some villagers. The police have also registered a case under IPC section 341, 342, 506 and 324 against the villagers who had thrashed the woman. Police have launched a massive manhunt for the culprits.

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