Published: August 25, 2024 7:09 PM IST 
Punjab Murder: In a shocking incident fueled by blind superstition, a 30-year-old man, suffering from seizures, was beaten to death in Gurdaspur district of Punjab by a pastor and eight other people on the pretext of ‘exorcism’ “to get his body rid of the devil”.
According to the police, the victim, identified as Samuel Masih, a resident of Singhpura village in Dhariwal area in Gurdaspur, suffered from seizures and used to let out loud screams when he suffered a fit.
However, instead of opting for medical treatment, Samuel’s family invited Jacob Masih, a local pastor, to their home on Wednesday to hold a prayer meeting for the victim.
The pastor claimed that Samuel was “possessed by the devil” and convinced the family that he needs an “exorcism”, and beating up the afflicted man would “force the devil away” from his body.
Assuring the family that nothing would happen to Samuel, the pastor, along with eight others, started beating him up to “drive the evil away”, resulting in his on-spot death, the police said.
“Samuel Masih, a daily wager, was badly beaten and died on the spot. The family buried him the next day”, an officer said, adding that two days after his death, the victim’s mother and his wife filed a complaint against the pastor.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered against the pastor and eight others under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Samuel’s body was exhumed for a post-mortem examination on Saturday, he said.
The entire exercise was conducted under the supervision of duty magistrate Inderjit Kaur, the officer further said, adding investigation in the case is underway.
(With PTI inputs)
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