Sarah 
In the serene tribal hamlets of Andhra Pradesh, a dark and ancient superstition still casts its deadly shadow. Despite widespread efforts to dispel myths and raise awareness against witch-hunting, the brutal practice continues to claim innocent lives. Across the state, especially in rural and tribal areas, witch-hunting remains a tragedy waiting to unfold, leaving behind grief, fear, and unanswered questions. One such tragic incident that recently shook the region was the horrific murder of a 58-year-old tribal man, A Domru, who was brutally attacked and burned alive by his fellow villagers over accusations of practicing black magic.
The incident took place on the night of March 21 in the Dumbriguda tribal hamlet of Lotheru panchayat, located in the remote Araku Valley of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district. Domru, a man of humble means, was targeted by his own community, accused of sorcery. These accusations were not based on any evidence or rational thought but were fueled by deep-rooted superstitions that have taken root in the tribal and rural pockets of the state. A tragedy like this is not an isolated case but part of a horrifying pattern that has claimed the lives of many innocent people in the past few years.
Between 2018 and 2022, nearly 30 people were killed in Andhra Pradesh under the suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report provides a chilling statistic: in just five years, witchcraft-related murders have claimed lives in alarming numbers. The most recent incident is part of a larger, horrifying trend. According to the NCRB, nine people were murdered on suspicion of witchcraft in 2018, two in 2019, four in 2020, six in 2021, and eight in 2022. Most of these murders were reported from the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, a region where superstition runs particularly deep.
The belief in witchcraft is often tied to personal misfortune. When illness strikes or a family faces misfortune, suspicions about the presence of malevolent forces arise. These beliefs are perpetuated by a toxic combination of ignorance, fear, and often, the influence of media and local narratives. When tragedy strikes, many are quick to blame an individual in the community. If a person is seen as different, or if they fall out of favor for any reason, they become the target of witchcraft accusations. The logic behind this belief is that if something goes wrong within a family, it must be the result of some evil force. As a result, people are branded as witches or sorcerers, and their lives are destroyed in the most brutal ways.
But the horror doesn’t end there. Victims of witch-hunting are not only attacked by their own communities but are often left with no recourse for justice. In many cases, families of the victims refuse to come forward and file police complaints, fearing social ostracization or further violence. They are caught between their fear of losing their loved ones and the terror of being further marginalized by their community. The lack of police intervention in many cases only perpetuates the cycle of violence and superstition.
The root of this deadly practice lies in the persistent influence of superstition, which is still widespread in rural and tribal areas. Despite years of efforts from social activists and the police to spread awareness about the dangers of witch-hunting, the practice remains deeply ingrained in certain pockets of the state. Some even argue that the portrayal of witchcraft and sorcery in films and media continues to fuel the belief in these superstitions. Rural and tribal communities, often isolated from mainstream education and information, are especially vulnerable to such manipulations.
Despite these efforts, the persistence of witch-hunting shows that awareness campaigns are not enough. The problem requires systemic changes, including better law enforcement, education, and social support for vulnerable communities. Police and social activists have been pushing for stronger laws and more awareness, but the tragic reality is that many deaths go unreported or unnoticed.
The question remains: why does this brutal practice continue? And how many more lives must be lost before true change can take place? The case of A Domru is a stark reminder of the dangers of superstition, and of how ancient beliefs can cause untold suffering in the modern age. While the rest of the world debates the future of technology and artificial intelligence, parts of Andhra Pradesh are still fighting a battle against centuries-old myths that continue to destroy lives.
As the deaths pile up, the hope lies in continued education, stronger law enforcement, and communities coming together to break the cycle of fear and superstition that has claimed far too many lives in the name of witch-hunting. Until then, victims like A Domru will continue to be the face of a social evil that refuses to die, even in the modern world.
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