Mangalore witchcraft practitioner sent to judicial custody

Kamalaksha Pursha (72), his foster daughter Chandrakala and accomplice Mahadeva Purusha were produced before the 2nd Judicial Magistrate First Class here for allegedly causing the death of victim Priyanka yesterday in a suspected act of witchcraft.

Magistrate Guruprasad accepted an application filed by the police and remanded the trio to judicial custody till January 1.

In Bangalore, the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission registered a suo motu case against the alleged human sacrifice and sent notices to the Dakshina Kannada district Superintendent of Police and other authorities seeking an immediate report on the incident.

SHRC Chairman S R Nayak said he would decide on the action to be taken after receiving reports from police and district authorities.

Kamalaksha and Chandrakala yesterday took Priyanka, their neighbour's daughter, to their house on the pretext of a religious ceremony, police said.

When she did not return, her parents enquired about her but Kamalaksha told them that he sent the girl back in the evening itself.

The three-year-old's body was later found dumped in a farm.

Enraged over the incident, locals ransacked the house of the suspects and pelted stones at the Kadri police station, demanding that the culprits be handed over to them.

Police had resorted to lathicharge to bring the situation under control.