BHORAJ (ADILABAD): The village elders ordered Chittivelli Narasimhulu, 72, a Dalit from Bhoraj village in Jainad mandal, to remove three “witchcraft toys” in the bed of the local rivulet after drinking polluted water from a “landa,” which cobblers use to clean animal skin to treat leather.
Ms Narsamma, wife of Narasimhulu, said her husband was manhandled and called filthy names and asked to confess.
He told her about the humiliation after returning home, and said he could not show his face to the villagers after the incident. Ms Narsamma alleged that five villager elders, along with 60 others, had taken her husband to the “landa” located in the middle of the Dalit basti and forced him to drink the polluted water after dropping a bone picked up from the garbage.
There is a belief that a Dalit will fall sick and die after drinking landa water if he is practicing sorcery. Mr Ramesh, Narasimhulu’s son, said the Jainad police has arrested Pochareddy and Ashok, two of the five against whom they had lodged a complaint.
He said P. Krishna Reddy, the main accused, Asha Reddy and Chinna Narayana were absconding.
In-charge DSP Venkateshwarlu conducted an inquiry into the incident and recorded the statements of the victim’s family. The Jainad tahsildar also conducted an inquiry.
