A 32-year-old woman and her one-year-old baby were allegedly set ablaze by a mob in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand after she was branded a witch, police said on Wednesday. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The attack took place late Tuesday night in a village under the Kumardungi police station limits, police said.
According to the complaint lodged by the woman’s husband, he woke up in the middle of the night after hearing people calling out to him and his wife. When he stepped outside, he found around a dozen villagers accusing his wife of practising witchcraft.
Amid the commotion, members of the mob allegedly poured kerosene on the woman, who was holding their one-year-old child in her arms, and set them on fire. Both died on the spot, police said.
Also read: Child killed over witchcraft suspicion in J'khand, 2 arrested
The husband was also injured in the attack but managed to flee. He reportedly spent the night at a relative’s house before approaching the police station on Wednesday morning to file a complaint.
“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 SDPO Raphael Murmu said.
Police said the violence followed the death of a relative of the husband earlier on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. The deceased man’s family allegedly blamed the woman for his death, accusing her of witchcraft.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
Incidents of violence linked to superstition and witch-branding have periodically surfaced in parts of Jharkhand, despite laws aimed at curbing such practices.
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