Six nabbed for trampling old woman to death in Rajshahi church

An 80-year old woman has been trampled to death in a bizarre act of exorcism at Saint John Marie Vianney Church in Rajshahi.

Police have arrested six persons for the murder on Wednesday.
 
Tanore Police Station OC Anwar Hossain said ‘Fulmoni’, 80, wife of late Jhade Mardi from Mundumala of Tanore Upazila, had several injury marks on her body.
 
Hossain said police arrested teacher ‘Bilashi’, ‘Ratan’, 18, ‘Boby’, 20, and three teenage girls, who allegedly trampled the old woman to death.
 
Fulmoni’s daughter ‘Arati’ said her mother fell ill on Tuesday evening.
 
She was taken to the church for exorcism on suspicion of possessing evil spirits.
 
Father Michal Kodaia asked church teacher Bilashi to remove the ‘evil spirit’ from Fulmnoni’s body.
 
Bilashi and five others allegedly took part in the exorcism -- they beat her up and trampled her until her condition deteriorated,
 
Arati said she requested Father Kodaia to take her mother to hospital but he did not pay any heed, and the exorcism continued.
 
Fulmoni died around 1am on Wednesday, Arati said.
 
Mundumala police arrested the six on verbal complaint by Arati on Wednesday morning.
 
Father Kodaia denied the allegation of torturing the old woman. He said he had only asked for relieving Fulmoni of the evil spirits.
 
Asked why he was not arrested, Rajshahi’s Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdur Rashid said action would be taken against him after investigation.