Police nab 11 for beating, stripping tribal woman in MP’s Khandwa

A day after 13 people allegedly thrashed and paraded a 32-year-old tribal woman on suspicions of witchcraft, Khalwa police in Khandwa managed to nab 11 people on Saturday night.

A day after 13 people allegedly thrashed and paraded a 32-year-old tribal woman on suspicions of witchcraft, Khalwa police in Khandwa managed to nab 11 people on Saturday night. Two of the accused - a man and a woman - are still absconding and police have intensified the search operation in Khandwa district.

A case has been registered in Khalwa police station under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. All the arrested persons were produced in district court from where they were later sent to jail.

Meanwhile, the condition of victim, who hails from Bakhar village under Khalwa police station limit and has been admitted at the Khandwa district hospital on Saturday evening, is said to be stable.

According to sub divisional officer (police) Mahannor Gavali, the victim and the accused persons belong to same Korku tribe and are all from the same village. The accused were suspicious that the victim and her husband were involved in witchcraft and were hurting others, Gavali added.

The victim’s husband, who was also beaten by the mob before he managed to flee, rushed to the Khalwa police station to bring help. In the meantime, accused stripped the victim off, thrashed her and paraded her naked in the village.

The police rescued the victim and her husband and took them to the village health centre, from where she was referred to the Khandwa district hospital in a serious condition.