Man Beheads Neighbor For Allegedly Practicing Witchcraft, Parades Severed Head Around Town

A 35-year-old man in India was jailed Monday for beheading his elderly neighbor and parading with the victim's severed head for miles, authorities said.

The suspect was arrested after videos and photos of the horrific incident that happened in Garriabad, a town in the central state of Chhattisgarh, went viral on social media, The Times of India reported.

The police said the suspect, Madhav Gond, had frequent disputes with his 65-year-old neighbor, Karan Singh, because the accused believed the latter was practicing witchcraft.

Gond alleged that Singh used to destroy his crops by deliberately unleashing cattle into his farm. He told the police that Singh would also let pigs into his farm, the media outlet reported. Since Gond considered pigs as "untouchable," he had to clean up his whole farm, which led to more disputes between them, the police said.

The accused also reportedly claimed that Singh used witchcraft to inflict harm on his family's health, making them all fall sick.

Enraged by all these incidents, Gond went to Singh's house and hacked him to death with an ax Monday night. He then terrorized the streets by carrying the man's severed head in his hand. Gond walked around the town for about 12 miles, showing people what he claimed to be a "daring act," news outlet News18 reported.

Some villagers took videos and photos of Gond and shared them on social media. The police have registered a case against him on charges of murder, and he was produced in court Tuesday. The police said they are further investigating the case.

Last month, a father and son in India were beaten to death by their fellow villagers on suspicion of them practicing witchcraft.

Luka Dalabehera and his son Anak Dalabehera of the eastern state of Odisha were called out from their home to a nearby forest where they were reportedly assaulted. Luka died at the scene, while Anak managed to escape. However, he later succumbed to the injuries at home. The police registered a case against the suspects after the village head reported the incident.