In a shocking incident, a woman panchayat member’s nose was chopped off by five persons who dubbed her as a witch and beat her up in Khagaria district. Nunu Devi, 70, a Dalit, was beaten up on Tuesday on suspicion of practising witchcraft, by five persons, including the one who blamed her for the recent death of his son and her nose chopped off in Khagaria district’s Kainzari village, about 200 km from Patna, Beldar police station SHO Mukesh Kumar Jha said.

Seriously injured Nunu, an elected member of Kainzari panchayat, had been admitted to a hospital at Beldar, the SHO said. On the basis of the victim’s statement, an FIR was registered against five persons, Jha added.

Deputy superintendent of police Ashok Kumar Singh said five people had been booked for the crime. All the accused were on the run, he said.