Fearing ‘evil spirits’, mom & aunts strangle sick boy in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: JUNE 22 – A seven year-old boy who had epileptic fits was strangled by his mother and two aunts who thought he was possessed by evil spirits, at a village in Tiruvannamalai district early on Monday, police said.

According to the police, the incident took place in the early hours of Monday morning. The boy, Sabari, lived with his mother Thilakavathi (30) near KV Kuppam in Vellore. Thilakavathi’s sisters Bakiyalakshmi (29) and Kavitha (28) also lived with them. The boy’s father died two years ago, officers said.

On Monday, said the police, the sisters decided to take Sabari to Vanthavasi, to get him “treated” by a godman. “From their residence, the family took an auto-rickshaw to reach Vanthavasi near Tiruvannamalai. However, the women’s conversation about black magic and spirits made the auto driver suspicious, and he dropped them near the Kannamangalam town bus stop,” a police officer said.

The women then decided to spend the night near the panchayat union premises.

According to the police, the boy developed fits around 3 am, and the women started using force to drive out the “evil spirit.” Thilakavathi allegedly pulled the tongue of the boy, while the sisters stamped on his chest and stomach, an officer said. The sisters also poured water on him and slapped him as he lay motionless, the police claimed.

Hearing his screams, people from the surrounding areas reached the place and informed the police. The boy was declared dead on arrival at the Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital.

The Kannamangalam police have booked the three women under section 302 of the IPC. (The Indian Express)