By Osahon Ibizugbe

A woman claiming to be a witch in India has been filmed sticking a sword inside people’s eyes claiming it can cure any medical condition.

Tribal woman, Phuleshwari Devi, 45, from Koriya, in Chhattisgarh, central India, claims to have supernatural powers and believes she can cure any medical illness with the help of her magical sword.

The footage of Phuleshwari Devi shows her inserting the sword into the eye of Rama Devi, 27, who came to her with complaints of pains and poor eyesight. After Devi completed her ‘so called’ treatment, Rama said she was miraculously feeling better.

The video also shows her sticking the tip of her sword into different parts of the body in order to treat different ailments.

Devi offers her services two days a week – Monday and Thursday – and visitors travel from afar to meet with her for treatment of numerous types of illnesses such as pain relief, broken bones and infertility.

Locals have believed the superstition for more than 25 years. Rama, who is filmed in the video having her eyes treated, said: “I’ve had problems with my eyes and I’ve been coming to see her for three years now.

‘I come to her whenever I have pain. She uses her sword and I feel better. I come back to her whenever the pain returns.”

Another local resident,  Ram Prasad, 33, said: “She can treat everything. From eye pain to back pain to throat or body pain, she has a treatment for everything. ‘There’s nothing she cannot treat. She treats everything with her sword.”

Panchayat Ram Bhajan, who is the deputy director of the Panchayat, a local kangaroo court or village council, in Koriya, said the the government was unaware of Phuleshwari’s services.

“We are unaware of this matter but we strongly condemn such an act,” Bhajan said. “There are witchcrafts and superstitions in this area. But we’ll look into the matter and take action against her. This cannot continue.”

The National Crime Records Bureau reported that 2,097 murders were committed in India between 2000 and 2012 related to witch-hunting.