HYDERABAD: A 40-year-old widow was allegedly burnt alive by her son in Medak district, suspecting her of practising black magic.The victim, Karre Sayamma, an agricultural labourer from Ellupet village in Tekmal mandal, died on the spot after suffering severe burn injuries. Her son, Karre Durgesh, 21, an autorickshaw driver, is absconding, and police have launched a manhunt for him after registering a murder case.According to investigators, Durgesh had been accusing his mother for several days of performing occult rituals and blaming her for the deaths of villagers that had occurred decades ago. However, the allegations were not corroborated by the police inquiry or statements from villagers.‘No proof of occult practices’There is no evidence of occult practices in our investigation. We spoke to several villagers, but none of them said she was involved in such activities, said Alladurg circle inspector M Renuka.Police said Durgesh had returned to his native village about 10 days ago from Hyderabad, where he worked as an autorickshaw driver. He had allegedly been behaving erratically and was addicted to alcohol, investigators said.Sayamma, who lived alone, earned her livelihood as an agricultural labourer. Police suspect Durgesh used diesel from his autorickshaw to set her on fire.After receiving information about the incident, CI Renuka and Tekmal sub-inspector Aravind rushed to the village and initiated an inquiry. Special police teams have been formed to trace and arrest Durgesh.
