Jharkhand, Feb 18: A 32-year-old woman and her one-year-old child were allegedly burnt alive by a mob in a village under Kumardungi police station limits in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district after she was accused of practising witchcraft, police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred late on the night of February 17, when around a dozen villagers allegedly called the couple out of their house and accused the woman of witchcraft. Amid the commotion, the mob allegedly poured kerosene on the woman while she was holding her infant and set both of them on fire. The mother and child died on the spot, officials said.
The woman’s husband sustained burn injuries while trying to save his family but managed to escape. He spent the night at a relative’s house and lodged a complaint at the Kumardungi police station on the morning of February 18.
“After the husband lodged the police complaint, he was admitted to the government hospital in Kumardungi. We have arrested four men named in the complaint. We are trying to identify the women who also took part in the crime, relying merely on superstition,” Jagannathpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Raphael Murmu said.
According to the complaint, “around a dozen villagers called them out of their house at night, poured kerosene on his wife and child and set them on fire.”
Police said the attack was allegedly triggered by the death of one of the husband’s relatives after a prolonged illness, with the deceased’s family blaming the woman and accusing her of witchcraft.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy. A forensic team has been deployed to collect evidence, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other accused involved in the crime.
Incidents of violence linked to superstition and witch-branding continue to be reported from parts of Jharkhand despite laws aimed at curbing such practices.
