Woman Dies After Self-Proclaimed Godman Beats Her To Treat Headache

A 37-year-old woman in India died after a self proclaimed godman allegedly hit her in the head and beat her as part of the so-called treatment to cure her headache. The incident took place last week in the southern state of Karnataka.

The victim, identified by her first name Parvathi, was a resident of Gowdarahalli in Hassan. The accused was identified as 42-year-old Manu, and he's on the run, police told local media.

The incident came to light when Parvathi’s daughter Chaitra filed a police complaint Thursday. Cops said that a doctor of Channarayapatna government hospital also alerted them about the incident and a murder case was registered, The Indian Express reported.

Polie said that Parvathi had been complaining of headache for two months and was taken to three hospitals, but the doctors told her that she did not have any problem. As the pain continued with no relief, Parvathi decided to heed the suggestion of her relative and consulted accused for a solution.

Earlier this month, Parvathi went to a temple to meet the self-styled godman. He told her to come back to her on Dec. 7. When Parvathi returned with a few other villagers, he started beating her in the head, hand and other parts of the body with a stick. The man said that this was part of a treatment to cure her headache.

Parvathi collapsed at the scene and she was taken to Channarayapatna hospital. However, she died at the hospital the next day due to the severe injuries, News 18 reported.

In August, a 4-year-old child was killed as part of an occult ritual to cure a priest's unknown illness. The victim's father and a local temple priest were arrested in connection with the death in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam. The child's body was found dumped in a river.

"Both accused have confessed to their involvement in the murder. Preliminary investigation revealed that the priest claimed to have dreamt that he had some incurable illness, which could be cured only with the sacrifice of a child. He disclosed this to the victim's father who decided to help him by offering his own child for the sacrificial ritual," a police officer was quoted as saying at the time.