In a shocking case of superstition-driven violence, three men allegedly gang-raped and murdered a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of practising black magic in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
The incident took place on the night of October 12, and police have arrested all three accused involved in the heinous crime.
According to Jagannathpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rafael Murmu, the victim was a resident of Ghagharbeda police station area in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and had been living separately from her husband. She was reportedly his second wife.
Police sources said the victim’s husband learnt about the incident late and lodged an FIR on Wednesday. Acting swiftly, the police arrested the three accused. Based on their interrogation, they recovered the woman’s body from near a dam, where it had been hidden under stones. The body was sent for post-mortem examination.
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During interrogation, the accused made a startling revelation. One of them claimed that his one-year-old child had been unwell for a long time, and rumours spread in the village that the woman was a “witch” responsible for the child’s illness.
Driven by this superstition, the accused, along with his two accomplices, barged into the woman’s house on the night of October 12, gang-raped her, and strangled her to death.
The SDPO described the case as a horrifying example of deep-rooted social evils and blind faith that still plague society. “We have arrested all three accused. The incident is extremely serious, and strict legal action will be taken,” he said. Police have begun a detailed investigation and will soon present the accused before the court.
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