An 86-year-old man was burnt alive on the charge of practicing 'blackmagic' in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-8, Makwanpur. The victim has been identified as Hasta Bahadur Magar, 86, of Hetauda-8. 

Hasta Bahadur's neighbour Krishna Bahadur Magar, 64, has admitted to the police in his satement that he sprinkled petrol all over Hasta Bahadur body and set him on fire on January 13 for casting a magic spell to cause itching rashes in his body, police said. 

According to police, Krishna Bahadur had met a Kathmandu-based astrologer, who led him to believe that an old shaman living in his neighbourhood is responsible for his skin disease. 

Four years ago, Krishna Bahadur had even tried to set ablaze Hasta Bahadur's son Bir Bahadur, who ran away and survived. Following the incident Bir Bahadur moved into a rented room leaving his father alone at home. Krishna's relation with Hasta Bahadur were not good.

The old man (Hasta Bahadur) used to earn his living by singing and begging in the marketplace and sometimes used to heal the sick people using shamanistic art. He also used to do some farming in his surrounding field. 

Police investigations relealved that some itchy rashes appeared on his body on the night of January 12 and he bought a bottle of petrol from the market the next morning and entered Hasta's house at around 8 in the evening and sprinkled petrol on him and set him aflame.

After the incident, the locals initially had assumed that the incident resulted from the fire made to avert cold during winter. Police arrested Krishna Bahadur on Tuesday.