Palakkad, Sept. 13 -- Two persons, including an alleged witchcraft practitioner and an 18-year old youth from Coimbatore, drowned in a river at Kulukkapara in Kozhinjampara grama panchayat in the district, on Saturday.

Both of them were swept away by strong currents during a bath after the witchcraft rituals.

According to police, the deceased have been identified as Hassan Muhammed, a resident of Pallitheruvu near Kozhinjampara, and his customer, Yuvaraj (18), from Coimbatore.

Both drowned while bathing in the river, a tributary of Bharathapuzha, in the afternoon, after performing witchcraft rituals.

A four-member family from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, including Yuvaraj, his mother and brother-in -law arrived at Hassan Muhammed's house i...