Jharkhand woman killed over witchcraft allegations, body buried in sand; accused arrested

Ranchi: In a shocking incident fuelled by superstition, a 50-year-old woman was murdered in Jharkhand’s Gumla over allegations of practising witchcraft and her body was found buried in the sand on the banks of the Khatwa river, officials said.

The police recovered the body on Monday and arrested the prime accused, Karmpal Lakra, who has confessed to the crime.

The deceased woman, a resident of Phatti Bagicha Toli in Gumla, had been missing for four days. Her son had lodged a missing report at the Gumla Sadar police station.

Suspecting foul play, he expressed concerns that his mother might have been targeted due to accusations of witchcraft.

Acting on the complaint, the police, under the direction of the Superintendent of Police of Gumla district, launched an investigation using a dog squad. During the search, a slipper and a towel believed to belong to the missing woman were found near the Khatwa river. Based on these clues and local inquiries, the police detained Lakra, a neighbour of the victim, for questioning.

Upon interrogation, Lakra confessed to the crime, revealing that he had killed the woman and buried her body in the sand near the riverbank. Following his confession, the police exhumed the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination.

In another shocking incident, a husband and wife were brutally murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Bihar’s Jamui district.

The gruesome crime took place in Chilko village under the Jhajha police station area. The couple was attacked and killed with sharp-edged weapons by their relatives, who accused them of being witches. The horrific act has sent shockwaves throughout the entire region.

Upon receiving information, Jamui SP Madan Kumar Anand and the Jhajha SDPO rushed to the scene. Police officials conducted an inspection and sent the bodies for a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into the case and are actively searching for the accused.

IANS