In Karnataka, a 55-year-old woman was beaten to death during a so-called ritual to drive out an "evil spirit." The incident happened on Monday night in the Shivamogga district and led to the arrest of three people, including the woman's son.

The woman, identified as Geetamma, was allegedly believed to be possessed by her son, Sanjay. Hoping to "cure" her, he brought home a woman named Asha who claimed to perform exorcisms. Asha arrived with her husband, Santosh, and began the ritual at Geetamma’s home.

What followed was a brutal assault that lasted for hours. A video, which captured parts of the incident, showed Geetamma sitting on the floor in a disoriented state. Asha can be seen circling a lemon around Geetamma’s head, making her smell it, and then striking her with it.

She then splits the lemon in half and rubs it violently on the woman's head. Asha is also seen slapping Geetamma and pulling her by the hair. At one point, she picks up a stick and starts hitting the elderly woman, who tries to shield herself but fails.

The assault reportedly began around 9:30 pm and went on till 1:00 am. Geetamma later died due to the injuries she suffered.

Following the incident, a murder case was filed against Sanjay, Asha, and Santosh. All three have been arrested, according to the police.

Bihar: Five set on fire over ‘black magic’ allegations

In another incident linked to superstition, five members of a family were burned to death in Bihar’s Purnia district. The incident took place late Sunday night when a mob of nearly 50 people stormed the home of Sita Devi, accusing her of practicing black magic.

The woman’s 16-year-old son, Sonu Kumar, managed to escape and later told police, “They barged in and began thrashing everyone who was at home.”

The mob allegedly set all five family members on fire and tried to cover up the crime by hiding their bodies under water hyacinth.