BENGALURU: A 49-year-old woman who looks after her husband’s garment factory in Peenya has accused her neighbours — a retired assistant sub-inspector of police and his family — of resorting to witchcraft and wreaking misfortune on her and her kin.
The retired ASI and his family allegedly attacked the complainant and her son and beat them up in the middle of the road for questioning their activities. The ex-cop and his kin are also accused of sexually harassing the woman.
The FIR identifies five suspects — retired ASI Javare Gowda, his wife Lakshmamma and their children Komala, Ananda and Paapu. The complainant and the suspects stay next to each other, while the garment factory is bang opposite the ex-cop’s house.
According to the complainant, she saw pieces of lemons daubed with vermilion and turmeric strewn in front of the factory main door on the morning of February 14. She went back home and told her husband about it. Fearing that it was an attempt to summon evil spirits to wreck havoc on their lives, the couple did not open the factory.
“On checking CCTV footage, we saw Lakshmamma throwing lemons in front of our factory in the morning,” the woman said. The next day, the woman showed the footage to Lakshmamma’s son Ananda. “We did not tell anything to him, hoping he would advise his mother against such acts. To our shock, Ananda and the others attacked me and my son and abused us in filthy language,” she said.
Cops summon suspects
Cops said they have issued notices to the suspects, directing them to appear for investigation. “The footage shows Lakshmamma throwing lemons as well as attacking the complainant and her son,” police said.
