In a shocking incident on Tuesday, Madikeri Rural police arrested four persons, among whom one of them was self-proclaimed godman named Kalidasa, for killing a Bengaluru woman in the name of exorcism.
TOI reported that this was done as a part of a ritual killing of Nandineravanda Asha on Mahalaya Amavasya for a deity in order to reach a hidden treasure.
Police arrested them from Ibnivelavadi village, 7km from Madikeri.
According to TOI, the godman named Durgadatha Kalidasa Swamy killed Asha, wife of Nanaiah who is a security guard in Marathahalli in Bengaluru.
The newspaper reported that in the pretext of using traditional method of exorcising a spirit that reportedly possessed Asha, she was reportedly beaten to death by Kalidasa. He hit her with a prong, including her private parts.
The report said that Asha’s sons, Harish, who is employed in Bengaluru, and Bheemaiah, studying MTech in Chennai, had taken to Kalidasa's witchcraft as the last resort to cure their mother.
Known as dancing godman, Kalidasa who is just 21 years old was born as Iqbal to Saidu, a timber merchant of Injilagere near Ponnampet.
According TOI report, Kalidasa was seen to be acting strange when he was 18 years.
The report added that, the village jamaat leader branded him insane and ordered him to be treated, after Kalidasa’s frequent visits to Chautanikere temple in the village where he would dance like a dervish- a member of a Muslim religious group known for its fast spinning dance. However, he went missing one day and was later found to be living in Boikeri village, near Virajpet.
According to the newspaper report, he found a supportive spirit in Aiyanda Dharani, who was impressed by his black magic. Her sons, Pavan and Kavan and Dharini let Kalidasa a room in their house, where he practiced witchcraft.
Speaking to TOI, Madikeri rural police inspector Karim Rahuthar, who has been handling this case said that the godman had changed his name to Durgadatha Kalidas. This is first such incident in Kodagu and Kalidasa, Dharani, Pavan and Kavan were sent to judicial custody for 15 days.
This is an aggregated news report from Times of India