Karre Durgesh, who had just returned from Hyderabad ten days before, used diesel from his auto to ignite the house where his mother, Karre Sayamma, stayed. She collapsed on the spot, suffering severe burn injuries that proved fatal.
Police say the 21‑year‑old, an alcohol addict, may have acted in a drunken state, but no evidence supports the accusation that his mother practiced black magic. The postmortem, conducted at a government hospital in Jogipet, found no signs of occult rituals.
Circle Inspector Renuka and Sub‑Inspector Aravind Kumar arrived within hours of the incident, interviewing villagers who denied any involvement of Sayamma in the earlier deaths that plagued the community. "There is no evidence of occult practices," Renuka told reporters.
The case highlights a broader pattern of superstition‑driven violence in rural Telangana, where a handful of deaths had long been blamed on supposed sorcery. Yet the police remain focused on the factual trail, not folklore.
Durgesh has been booked under the Indian Penal Code for attempted murder. He will soon face a preliminary hearing, and the investigation will seek witnesses who might corroborate the lack of evidence for black‑magic claims.