6 get lifer for killing man alleging witchcraft

VISAKHAPATNAM: A sub-court in Parvathipuram of Manyam district sentenced six men to life imprisonment on Thursday for killing a man after branding him as a practitioner of witchcraft. Further, the court imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on each one of them.

According to additional public prosecutor B. Venkata Naidu, 45-year-old K. Appanna was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a banana plantation at Sambara village under Makkuva police station limits in Parvathipuram Manyam district on January 26, 2017. Appanna, a farmer, was a native of Suragadavalasa village. Investigation revealed that six persons E. Nagaraju, K. Ravi Kumar, K. Gunnayya, K. Appa Rao, M. Jallayya and B. Simhachalam had murdered Appana branding him as witch and holding him responsible for death and illness of people in their village.

Police arrested the six persons and filed a charge sheet against them. The court found all of them guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. This is the second time a court has awarded life sentence to those killing people in the name of witchcraft. In 2016, the Second Additional District Judge Court in Vizianagaram sentenced 12 people to life imprisonment in a double murder at Kotha Kamudialasa village under Makkuva mandal of Vizianagaram district. G. Pandu and his wife Sithamma had been killed after being accused of practicing witchcraft.