Kollam, Jul 18 In what can be called a height of superstition, a self-styled “Muslim” exorcist tortured a young woman to death in Karunagappally in Kerala's Kollam district while trying to exorcise the jinn (spirit) that he said had got into her body.
The incident took place last weekend and the exorcist, Sirajuddin, a native of Adikkattukulangara in Alappuzha district, has been absconding since then.
According to the police, Haseena (26), daughter of Hassan Kunju of Thazhava near Karunagappally, had died of a massive vertebral injury she had suffered on the night of last Saturday when exorcist kicked her amidst his bid to cast away the evil spirit that he said had got into her.
The woman's father, Hassan Kunju, 58, and an aide of the exorcist, Kabir, 58, of Thodiyoor were taken into police custody here on Wednesday in connection with the incident.
Haseena, who had been suffering from speech impairment and showing symptoms of mental disorder, had collapsed due to the torture. Sensing danger, the exorcist, left the place immediately after convincing the woman's relatives that the jinn would have left her by the time she regained consciousness. He has been absconding since then.
However, the relatives took the woman to a private hospital nearby after she failed to regain consciousness but she was declared dead on arrival at the hospital early Sunday morning.
The police came to know about the incident after somebody informed the City Police Commissioner, Kollam as the relatives were trying to bury her body claiming that she had died of natural causes.
Autopsy done at the Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram proved that Haseena had suffered a massive blow in the vertebral column and a massive bleeding had taken place into her abdominal cavity. It was later revealed that Sirajuddin had kicked her with all his force by holding her with a firm grip on her hair.
Haseena's father Hassan Kunju and other relatives have admitted to the police that she was subjected to the exorcist's treatment as she was showing symptoms of mental disturbance which Sirajuddin said was due to the presence of the jinn inside her body. They also told the police that the “treatment” had been going on for two weeks.
Police officials said that they had intensified the search for Sirajuddin and that he would be caught soon. Haseena's father Hassankunju and Kabeer Moulvi, the middleman who had brought Sirajuddin to the house describing him as the exorcist, have already been arrested.
The victim's neighbours said that they had been hearing cries and shouting continuously from her house for several days. A local resident also said that the relatives had not cared to give any kind of medical treatment to Haseena though she had been showing symptoms of mental disturbances for quite a long time.
Banned practice
Even though Islam strictly prohibited exorcism, there is a large number of exorcists among Muslim community in India especially in Kerala. A drive some years back to control the activities of exorcists and self-styled godmen' had brought to light several discomforting incidents.
Muslim scholar O Abdullah said that there should be stringent legal provisions to ensure that such brutal customs in the name of spirituality did not recur in the Kerala society. “This is nothing but exploitation of ignorance and superstition among the people and such practices have no religious approval,” he said.
Maulana Abdul Kareem, a local cleric said that exorcism is one of the major sins in Islam. However, many ignorant Muslims still continued to approach exorcists, which is a cause of concern. He said that government should take immediate action to curb exorcists across Kerala.
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