A woman was arrested Sunday after her practice of "exorcism" led to death of a college student in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, police said.
The incident happened in Hariharpara in the district, some 220 km from Kolkata.
"We have arrested Munawara Bibi for the death of Sunny Sheikh whose body was found floating in the river Sunday," a police officer said.
According to police, Sheikh, a first year student of Amtala College, was suffering some ailment resulting in frequent convulsions. His parents then took him to Bibi - a village tantric, who said Sheikh was possessed by a demon.
"She (Bibi) said the demon would leave Sunny only if exorcism is carried out in mid-river before sunrise. According to her order, we left Sunny at her house Saturday morning but he did not return. Today we found his body floating in the river," said Sunny's uncle Anal Sheikh.
Police fished out Sunny's body and following complaints by the villagers, Bibi was arrested.
A doctor who earlier had treated Sunny said the boy might be suffering from epilepsy.