Kalaburagi, 27 Dec

A woman from Kalaburagi was beaten to death with a neem stick on the suspicion that she was possessed by an evil spirit. The incident occurred in Murum village of Solapur district in Maharashtra.

The deceased, Muktabai, 25, was a resident of Aland taluk in Kalaburagi district. She was married six years ago to Giddeppa, a resident of Murum village, and the couple has a five-year-old son.

According to reports, Muktabai had recently exhibited changes in her behaviour, which her family attributed to possession by an “evil spirit”. Believing this, her husband Giddeppa and other relatives allegedly assaulted her with a neem stick in an attempt to drive away the spirit. Muktabai died on the spot due to the assault.

A case has been registered at the Murum police station, and Giddeppa and others have been taken into custody. The exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem examination.

The incident has once again highlighted how superstition and unscientific practices continue to claim lives instead of people seeking mental health treatment. The public has demanded awareness cam-paigns in rural areas to prevent such tragedies.