A SEXUAGENARIAN WOMAN BEATEN TO DEATH FOR WITHCRAFT

Sasaram (RNI) After the death of a child due to illness under Nauhatta police station area of the forested hilly area of Rohtas district, irate relatives of the child beat and strangulated a neighbouring woman to death. The police arrested an accused in this regard. An FIR was lodged with the police under Nauhatta police station and the police are investigating the matter.

Rohtas SP Roushan Kumar said that the police have taken the body in their custody and brought it to the Sasaram Sadar Hospital for postmortem. The SP further said that after the death of an eight year old child Ranjan due to illness in Hurmentha village under Nauhatta police station in Rohtas district, the family members of the deceased accused a sexagenarian woman Kismatiya Devi of being a witch and beat and strangulated her to death. Sources said that elderly woman was attacked with an axe and was beaten till she died. At the instruction of the Rohtas SP, the SDPO-2 of Dehari Bandana Mishra, an accused in this regard was arrested. Police are interrogating him.

It may be said that both are the Oraon tribal families. It is said that Upendra Oraon of Hurmetha’s 8 year old son Ranjan was ailing for the last few days but suddenly his health deteriorated and he died while being taken to the hospital. after the death, his family accused a sexagenarian woman Kismatiya Devi wife of Harivansh Oraon, their neighbour, of being a witch. People took the body of Ranjan to Kismatiya Devi’s house and started beating her. It was also alleged that the deceased mother Pramila Devi attacked the elderly woman Kismatiya Devi with an axe. First she threw bricks, stones, sticks etc. and later attacked Kishmatiya Devi with sharp edged weapon and killed her. The hill tribal people live in this area where superstition is still prevalent. Getting information, the police rushed to the spot and brought the bodies of Ranjan and Kismatiya Devi to the Sasaram Sadar Hospital for postmortem.