Daijiworld Media Network - Hassan (SP)

Hassan, Feb 11: In a tragic incident, three members of a family, who had gone to dispose off a lemon in a pond at the advice of the practitioner of witchcraft drowned. Two others were rescued. This incident occurred at Sathenahalli in the taluk on Tuesday February 10.

The victims have been identified as Gidde Gowda, his daughter-in-law, Prema, and her son, Vikas.

A person named Nagaraj, son of Gidde Gowda from Sathenahalli in the taluk, runs a photo studio and business of hiring of Shamianas. In the recent past, he was facing losses. The family members believed that this was the result of anger of some spirits, and hence had organized puja at their home on Tuesday to appease them.

After the puja, the sorcerer had handed them five lemons which had been used in witchcraft for being disposed off at different places. Nagaraj, his father, Gidde Gowda, wife, Prema, and sons, Vikas and Vinay, went in a car to throw the lemons as advised. When throwing the last lemon in a pond, Nagaraj tried to toss the lemon into the pond when continuing to drive the car on the edge of the pond. He lost balance, and the car he was driving plunged into the pond and got stuck in knee-deep sediment. An auto rickshaw driver, who was passing by the pond, rushed to their rescue, and succeeded in saving Nagaraj and his son, Vinay.