An Indian woman had her tongue branded with a hot iron by a witch doctor who thought she was possessed by evil spirits.
Jatha Devi, 25, from Pali in Rajasthan, had been unwell for some time; so, husband Kishan Jat, a daily wage labourer, took her to a government-run hospital.
But when her condition did not improve, Jatha’s relatives claimed she was possessed by evil spirits and suggested she be taken to a witch doctor, reports Daily Mail.
The witch doctors believe in burning the skin with a hot tong or piece of iron to cure certain illnesses and also claim to have the knowledge to perform exorcisms.
Her parents, Bhanwar Lal and Sanjini Devi, also labourers, took Jatha to witch doctor Jairam Bhat on Sunday.
During the ‘treatment’ the witch doctor mercilessly branded her lips, tongue, forehead and arms for two days with a hot trident.
Jatha’s condition worsened as she was unable to utter a word and was whimpering with acute pain.
She was immediately rushed to Bangar Hospital in Jodhpur where doctors attending her found her to be suffering from a mental illness – acute psychosis.
After doctors treated her, Jatha’s case was passed to police who arrested Jairam Bhat.
A senior police officer, Simartha Ram, said: “Jatha’s husband informed us about the incident and with their statements we formed a team of officers and sent them to the village from where [the witch doctor] was apprehended.”
Some people in Rajasthan still believe in witch doctors for even basic illnesses like fever or stomach ache.
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