At villager Panandanatard parent of a 10-year-old boy who had died last week after prolonged illness, blamed a local woman of the same village for practicing witchcraft and decided to eliminate her. Police sources said locals attacked the house around midnight and dragged out the two women they suspected to be playing black magic on their child.
The assailants, who also reportedly included local women, took them away from their houses and killed one woman identified as Nanhki Devi (70) and injured Mungo Devi. According to information, the police reached the village on Wednesday morning and recovered the body of Nanhki Devi. Officer-in charge said police have detained few members of family to interrogate them.
Tension prevailed in the village as villagers are trying to resist the police. A large number of policemen have been deployed in the area to maintain calm. Jharkhand witnesses frequent killings in the name of witchcraft. According to an estimate, over 1,000 women have been killed in the last one decade in the state for allegedly practicing witchcraft, sources said.