MP: Elderly couple allegedly thrashed on suspicion of witchcraft; 7 booked

Speaking to the media, Shivpuri superintendent of police (SP) Raghuvansh Singh Bhadoria said the family of one of the accused identified as Rajendra Kushwaha alleged that the elderly couple was stealing “innerwear for witch crafting”

Updated on: Feb 18, 2024, 13:18:08 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal: An elderly couple was allegedly thrashed, stripped and forced to eat faeces in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district on suspicion of witchcraft, said police.

Police said the incident took place in the district’s Silanagar village, and based on the complaint filed by the couple, seven people have been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Speaking to the media, Shivpuri superintendent of police (SP) Raghuvansh Singh Bhadoria said the family of one of the accused identified as Rajendra Kushwaha alleged that the elderly couple was stealing “innerwear for witch crafting”.

On February 15, a panchayat was held in the village in which the elderly couple were also asked to attend. “The 62-year-old man and 60-year-old women alleged that they were thrashed with slippers and stripped before a procession was taken out in the village. After the procession, they were forced to eat human excreta,” said the SP.

After investigation, Amola police station filed an FIR under sections 294 (using obscene language), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) against seven accused, SP Bhadoria added.

All the accused were arrested and sent to jail on Saturday evening.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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