Angry villagers in Andhra Pradesh tried to burn a man alive who had allegedly severed the head of a four-year-old child as a sacrifice to goddess Kali seeking “divine powers” and “wealth.” This gruesome incident took place on Wednesday in Scheduled Castes colony in the remote Pokur village at Valetivaripalem Mandal in Prakasam district on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as 35-year-old P Tirumala Rao, is undergoing treatment at Kandukur hospital with 40 per cent burns. Villagers have alleged that Tirumala practiced black magic and sacrificed the boy, Manu Sagar, believing he would obtain divine powers and wealth.

Tirumala Rao had allegedly kidnapped Sagar while he was on his way back home from an Anganwadi. Sagar’s headless body was later found at Rao’s home when the boy’s mother Adilakshmi, accompanied by her husband and Rao’s brother Venkata Rao, went there looking for her son. The accused is said to have collected the blood in a bottle after severing the boy’s head to offer to goddesses.

The boy’s mother sought help from villagers. Rao fled his house but was caught by the mob that lynched him. Enraged villagers caught hold of Tirumala Rao, poured kerosene and burnt him alive for seizing a 4-year-old child and beheading the victim as part of a witchcraft ritual human sacrifice.

However, he was rescued by the elders in the village, who later informed about the incident to the police. He was then rushed to a hospital in Kandukur. Police recovered the sickle used by the accused to kill the boy at his residence.  Rao, who is known in Prakasam for his ties with practitioners of tantric rituals, survived the burns and was brought to the hospital where he is being guarded by police, said C. Srikant Lakshman, police superintendent.