A murderer near Bhokta Bageecha of Hirhi Turiya Toli killed a 65-year-old man, Bartu Bhagat, after accusing him of practicing witchcraft. Bhagat was axed to death near the Town Police Station on Wednesday. District police have voiced concern at the rise in the number of people killed after being accused of practising witchcraft.
Naro Pahan, the culprit, later surrendered at the police station confessing his crime boldly and blamed Bhagat for practising witchcraft to kill three members of his family.
“In 1988 Bhagat killed my father Satan Pahan,” said Naro. “In 1997 he killed my first wife Sarhuliya and in 2009 he killed my mother Sugain. He also targeted me and my children and hoped to kill us using his black magic. I requested him not to harm my family anymore when I met him on Wednesday near Hendlaso market, but he did not pay any heed to it. I was left with no other option but to kill him. I took an axe from a labourer working near the market and killed him.”
Not to be outdone, five people killed a 40-yr-old woman on charges of witchcraft at Tigra village under the Town police station in Lohardaga, India on Thursday evening. The victim has been identified as Hamiza Khatoon.
Town OC Purna Chandra Deogam said five persons of the family including one Ustak Ansari have been identified as the accused.
“While four of them held the woman, another killed her using a spade. Police have launched raids to nab the accused persons who are absconding,” Deogam said. He said the body was sent to the Lohardaga Sadar Hospital for post-mortem.
