A man identified as Samuel Masih was beaten to death in Gurdaspur, Punjab, in what authorities believe was an attempt to exorcise a demon from his body.
Samuel Masih, a father of three who had reportedly been suffering from seizures, became the target of a violent exorcism after his family called a pastor to their home. The pastor, identified as Jacob Masih, also known as Jakki, claimed that Samuel was possessed and initiated the exorcism.
According to the family, Pastor Jacob Masih, along with eight associates, brutally assaulted Samuel on the night of August 21, under the guise of expelling the demon. After the beating, Samuel was left on a cot, where his family later found him dead.
The following day, the family buried Samuel’s body in the village cemetery. However, they later decided to take legal action against the pastor and filed a complaint with the police, prompting an investigation.
On Saturday, police exhumed Samuel’s body for a post-mortem examination under the supervision of Duty Magistrate Inderjit Kaur. A case has been registered against Jacob Masih, Baljeet Singh Sonu, and eight others.
DSP Kulwant Singh confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the circumstances surrounding Samuel Masih’s death.