Kollam: The Chadayamangalam police here on Thursday arrested a man for allegedly pouring hot fish curry on his wife’s face after she refused to follow the instructions of a sorcerer.

The accused, Sajeer, reportedly attacked his wife, Rajeela, for not obeying the sorcerer’s commands, police said. The victim sustained severe burns on her face and neck. She is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Anchal.

According to police, Rajeela had been suffering from an illness, and Sajeer had sought help from a Muslim sorcerer for a cure. The sorcerer allegedly told them that she was haunted by an evil spirit and instructed her to wear an amulet, apply holy ash on her face, and keep her hair loose. When she refused to follow these directions, Sajeer became enraged and poured hot fish curry on her face. The incident reportedly took place around 9.30 on Wednesday. 

“My husband had visited a Ustad who claimed that Satan haunted me. He asked me to wear an amulet, apply holy ash on my face, and leave my hair open. When I refused and told the Ustad that I would seek relief through prayers from the Holy Quran instead, my husband got furious and poured the boiling curry on me,” Rajeela told Manorama News.

Police said the woman sustained around 11% burns in the attack. Sajeer has been charged under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons or means, such as knives, firearms, poison, or fire.