Hyderabad: Superstition led to man's murder

Hyderabad: The investigation into the murder of Devendra Prasad Misra, a security guard at an MNC in Madhapur, revealed that his brothers beat him to death as they believed that he was possessed by a demon.

Devendra Prasad had been reportedly behaving erratically in recent days as he developed psychological problems. He had claimed that he killed his mother and would kill his brothers also.

“All the four brothers were extremely superstitious and religious. They also had psychological problems. Devender Prasad suffered a serious mental disorder recently and had been visiting a Dargah in the city. He came back to their room in Madhapur and told his brothers that he was going to kill them. He claimed that he was a baba from ancient times, and had killed his own mother,” said inspector R. Kalinga Rao.

“It led to a fight. His three brothers, Birendra Prasad Misra, Mahendra Prasad Misra and Dharmendra Prasad Misra, who thought that a demon had possessed their brother, started hitting him with things available in the house. They assaulted him till he collapsed. The victim tried to attack Dharmendra and inflicted an injury on his neck,” the inspector added. Police said the four brothers, who hail from MP, do not go to doctors. Instead they visit temples and Dargas.