West Singhbhum, Jharkhand (Gurpreet SIngh): A 32-year-old woman and her one-year-old baby were allegedly set on fire by a mob after she was branded a witch in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, police said on Wednesday.
The incident took place late Tuesday night in a village under the Kumardungi police station limits. Four men have been arrested in connection with the crime so far.
According to the complaint filed by the woman’s husband, he woke up around midnight after hearing people calling out to him and his wife. When he stepped outside, he found nearly a dozen villagers gathered and accusing his wife of practising witchcraft.
Amid the commotion, the mob allegedly poured kerosene on the woman — who was holding their one-year-old child — and set them ablaze. Both died on the spot, police said.
The husband was also injured during the attack but managed to escape. He reportedly spent the night at a relative’s house before reaching the police station on Wednesday morning to lodge a complaint. He was later admitted to a government hospital in Kumardungi for treatment.
Jagannathpur SDPO Raphael Murmu said four men named in the complaint have been arrested. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend women who allegedly took part in the attack.
Police said a relative of the husband had died earlier on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, and some villagers allegedly blamed the woman for the death due to superstition.
A case has been registered and further investigation is in progress.
