A 45-year-old woman in Karnataka's Shivamogga district was beaten to death in front of her son during an exorcism ritual in the early hours of Monday morning. Police have arrested the victim's son and two others on murder charges.
The victim has been identified as Geethamma, a resident of Hosa Jambraghatta village. Those accused of her killing include her son Sanjay, along with distant relatives Asha and Satosh (husband and wife).
A disturbing video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing Geethamma pleading for water while Asha repeatedly strikes her with a stick and pulls her hair. The footage has sparked outrage across the region.
According to police reports, Asha visited Geethamma's house on Sunday around 9:30 pm, informing Sanjay that his mother was possessed by evil spirits. She suggested performing an exorcism, to which Sanjay agreed.
After conducting a puja outside Geethamma's house, Asha dragged the victim outside and began beating her with a stick. Not satisfied, Asha claimed the spirit remained and forcibly took Geethamma approximately 2.5 km to the Chowdamma temple in Hale Jambraghatta, continuing the assault until about 2:30 am.
The situation escalated when Asha struck Geethamma's head with a large stone and poured cold water over her body. The victim collapsed from severe head injuries.
At this point, Asha declared the spirit had departed and sent Geethamma home. However, her condition rapidly deteriorated. She was taken to Holehonnur Community Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.
Following Geethamma's death, her other son reported the incident to police and filed a formal complaint. The Holehonnur police subsequently registered a murder case and arrested Sanjay, Asha, and Santosh on Monday.
Reports indicate the victim had been suffering from mental health issues and had been heard shouting at night for several days prior to the incident.
