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70-year-old woman, daughter killed over witchcraft allegations in Jharkhand; bodies missing
Police have detained several suspects, including the elderly woman’s stepson, as they investigate a land dispute and the possibility of sexual assault.
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A 70-year-old woman and her 24-year-old daughter were killed within a fortnight by a group of people who accused them of “witchcraft”, and their bodies were dumped in a forest after being set on fire in West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, police said on Tuesday.
According to police, they have detained some suspects, including the elderly woman’s stepson Tribhuvan Birua. Police are also investigating whether the 24-year-old woman was gang-raped before being killed.
“We are verifying the details of the case after getting information. Some suspects, including the main accused Tribhuvan Birua, have been detained and are being interrogated. Preliminary investigation has found that the Tribhuvan had a land dispute with the 70-year-old woman. The accused and his associates alleged that both women were practising witchcraft. All the angles are being investigated, including the he possibility of the stepsister being gang-raped before getting killed,” Dilip Sai Majhi, Manjhari PS officer-in-charge, said, adding that a search is underway for both the bodies or their remains which is crucial for forensic evidence.
Also read: 52-year-old woman allegedly beaten to death over witchcraft suspicion in Bihar
According to initial information, the 70-year-old was working in their farmland near Torlo Dam when she entered into a fight with Tribhuvan over a trivial issue. “Tribhuvan and his associates killed her when she was returning from the farmland, burnt her dead body and dumped it in the nearby jungles,” a villager said.
According to police, a local villager, Buli Birua, was injured during a clash with the assailants. He is being treated at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital.
