Jharkhand: Woman set ablaze on ‘witchcraft’ suspicions, six held
A tribal woman was beaten up and set on fire by neighbours in a village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district on Wednesday night, police said, adding that six persons have been arrested and the woman is being treated at a hospital in state capital Ranchi.
A tribal woman was beaten up and set on fire by neighbours in a village in Jharkhand’s Simdega district on Wednesday night, police said, adding that six persons have been arrested and the woman is being treated at a hospital in state capital Ranchi.
The woman, identified as Jhario Devi, 60, who had received around 30 per cent burns before she was rescued by other villagers, has been referred from Simdega district hospital to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, police said.
“The incident happened in Kurpaani village under Tethaitangar police station limits between 9-10 pm on Wednesday. Police rushed to the spot after getting information, but by then her relatives and villagers had already taken her to Simdega district hospital. Doctors said she had around 30 percent burns. She has been referred to RIMS for better treatment,” said Shams Tabrez, superintendent of police, Simdega.
The SP said police have arrested all six named accused in the case, based on complaint filed by the victim and her son.
As per the complaint, officials said, Jhirio, along with her husband, had gone to the house of a person named Florence Dungung for religious rites following the death of the latter’s wife.
“It is alleged that Florence accused the victim of practising witchcraft and held her responsible for his wife’s death. He and a few others present there started beating her. Then they set her on fire after pouring kerosene oil on her. Hearing the commotion, other villagers rushed, rescued the woman and rushed her to hospital,” an official of Tethaitangar police station said.
This is the second incident of its kind in the district this month.
On January 4, a man, Sanju Pradhan, died after being beaten up and set ablaze by a mob in a village under Kolebira police station limits, allegedly for illegally felling trees. Nine of the 13 named accused in the case have been arrested.
On December 21 last year, the Jharkhand assembly had passed a law against lynching, but it is yet to be notified.