Woman branded witch and set alight in J’khand, cops take her to hosp

Simdega: Close on heels of a lynching incident in Jharkhand’s Simdega district, a 60-year-old woman was set on fire by locals at a village here on the suspicion that she practised witchcraft, a police officer said on Thursday.

Five persons have been arrested in this connection, the officer said.

The victim with severe burn injuries was undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital.

Jharya Devi had gone to a relative’s place at Kudpani Deepatoli in Thethaitangar police station area of the district to attend a funeral ceremony when some of the villagers attacked her.

The locals poured kerosene on her and set fire to her, alleging that she practised sorcery that might be detrimental to their wellbeing.

Some of the funeral ceremony attendees informed the police, following which Jharya Devi was rescued and taken to Sadar Hospital. Last week, a 32-year-old man was stoned to death and his body set on fire by a mob near Besrajara Bazar in Kolebira police station area.

Village headman Subun Bud, the prime accused in the case, was nabbed on Sunday after a massive manhunt, taking the total number of arrests made in the case to eight.