Four women were killed on suspicion of practicing witchcraft in Jharkhand.
The incident happened in Kanjia village of the state’s capital Ranchi, says SP(Rural) Raj Kumar Lakra adding that their bodies were discovered on Saturday morning.
Killing women on suspicion of practicing witchcraft is common in Jharkhand and the neighbouring Bihar. According to a report by National Crime Records Bureau, 54 out of 160 cases of murder where women were declared witches were reported from Jharkhand. Jharkhand has seen more than 400 women being killed for allegedly being witches since 2001.
Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das has condemned the incident. An official statement released by his office said, “In the age of knowledge, this incident is sorrowful. The society should ponder over it.”
On March 10, throats of Sushil Oraon and Jhibi Oraon were slit in Lohardaga’s Lawagai village, while on April 16 the head of Budhva Mahali was severed and his wife Etwari Mahali suffered a macabre death at Haslata village in Gumla district.
