Mysterious stone-throwing leaves Indian villagers spending sleepless nights

Fear has gripped residents of Appajipeta village in Pimdi mandal of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, after stones began mysteriously hitting houses during night hours, leaving villagers frightened and unable to determine who or what is behind the unusual incidents.

According to villagers, the stone-throwing has continued for nearly a week, with stones beginning to fall on rooftops soon after nightfall. Residents said the incidents become particularly frequent around 10pm, when stones are reportedly pelted at houses at intervals of a few minutes.

Concerned residents approached the police and lodged a complaint, following which four constables were deployed to patrol the village. However, the police presence has failed to bring an end to the mysterious incidents, with villagers saying stones continued to fall despite the patrols.

In an attempt to identify those responsible, around 20 youths from the village joined the police and kept watch from a nearby hillock. The group maintained a close vigil over the area, hoping to catch anyone throwing the stones. However, the stones reportedly continued to land on rooftops even while the villagers and police personnel were watching.

Residents said they initially suspected that miscreants were deliberately targeting their houses. However, despite the police patrols and vigil maintained by the youths, no person has been identified as being responsible for the stone-throwing.

The incidents have caused considerable fear in the village. Villagers said they are now locking themselves indoors soon after sunset and spending sleepless nights, worried that the stones could injure someone or cause further damage.

Some residents have already sustained minor injuries in the incidents. Villagers also showed stones that had landed on their rooftops to local media personnel who visited the area.

The problem is particularly worrying because many houses in Appajipeta have asbestos roofs. The impact of the heavy stones has caused damage to some rooftops, residents said.

Indo-Asian News Service