Witch doctor held for torturing girl

The Chelakkara police, on Tuesday, arrested a witch doctor for allegedly torturing a 20-year-old Dalit girl in connection with a case of exorcising an evil spirit from her body.

The arrested has been identified as Ratheesh, 25, of Chirakonam in Chelakkara. According to the police, a woman from Vaniamkulam, who has been suffering from depression for the past few days, was  brought to the Cherangonam Bhagavathy Temple near Chelakkara by her parents. Ratheesh, who conducts ‘pujas’ to ‘exorcise spirits’, allegedly whipped the woman with canes to ward off the ‘evil spirit’.  He was arrested under Section 324 of the IPC, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means. He was released on bail, the police said.It was on Sunday night that the locals and Hindu Helpline activists found the girl lying on the roadside in rain with bruises all over  her body, near Attoor at Cheruthuruthi.