Mother and baby burned alive in Jharkhand
A witchcraft killing has left a woman and her 10-month-old son dead after they were allegedly burned alive over accusations of practising witchcraft in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the attack, which took place earlier this week. Police confirmed that the woman’s husband, who was also assaulted, suffered severe burns and remains hospitalised.
Authorities say additional suspects may be involved, while those currently in custody have not made any public statements.
Attack followed rumours in remote village
The victims were identified as Jyoti Sinku and her infant son. The incident occurred in Kudsai hamlet, a remote tribal settlement of around 50 mud houses located approximately 250 kilometres from the state capital, Ranchi.
According to police accounts, the violence appears to have been triggered by rumours in the village, including sudden cattle deaths and the illness of a local man, Pustun Birua.
Birua’s wife, Jano Birua, said she sought help from an informal healthcare provider when her husband began suffering from anxiety and fainting spells. In rural areas where medical facilities are limited, residents often rely on such practitioners.
As Birua’s condition worsened, rumours allegedly spread accusing Jyoti Sinku of practising witchcraft and being responsible for his illness. He died on Tuesday evening.
That same night, according to her husband Kolhan Sinku, a mob of about a dozen people, including five women, stormed their home and set his wife and child on fire.
“I pleaded with folded hands to have the matter resolved in the village council but the attackers didn’t listen to me,” he said from his hospital bed.
Police investigation underway
Based on testimonies from Kolhan Sinku and another family member, district police have registered charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.
Police confirmed that four men have been arrested and that a special police team has been established to locate additional suspects believed to have taken part in the attack.
Authorities added they would organise awareness programmes in rural areas aimed at combating superstition.
A wider pattern of violence
According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, more than 2,500 people — mostly women — were killed in the country on suspicion of witchcraft between 2000 and 2016.
The India witchcraft killing in Jharkhand follows a similar case months earlier in neighbouring Bihar state, where five members of a family were reportedly killed and allegedly burned alive over related accusations.
Such incidents are frequently reported in disadvantaged tribal communities, where superstition remains prevalent and limited access to formal healthcare can fuel misinformation and fear.
Source: BBC
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