In a horrific incident, five members of a family were allegedly beaten to death and their bodies burnt in Tetgama village, Purnea district, on suspicion of practicing witchcraft, police reported on Monday. The killings, which occurred on Sunday night under the Mufassil police station in Rajiganj panchayat, were carried out by a mob of over 250 villagers, according to preliminary investigations.

The victims, identified as Babulal Oraon, his wife Sita Devi, his mother Kato Masomat, his son Manjeet Oraon, and daughter-in-law Rani Devi, were targeted following the death of a child in the village, which locals attributed to sorcery after a second child fell ill. The mob reportedly used petrol to set the bodies ablaze in a bush to conceal the crime, with search operations ongoing to recover remains.

Deputy Inspector General (Purnea) Pramod Kumar Mandal stated, “The victims were murdered on suspicion of witchcraft, and their bodies were burnt. We are working to confirm identities and circumstances.” Senior officials, including the Superintendent of Police and Additional SP, are leading the investigation, with forensic teams collecting evidence. Two suspects have been detained, and police are pursuing others involved.

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This incident echoes a pattern of superstition-driven violence in Bihar, where, despite the Prevention of Witch Practices Act, 1999, over 250 women have been tortured or killed in the past two years on similar accusations. Calls for awareness campaigns to curb such practices have intensified, with posts on X decrying the role of superstition and figures like Dhirendra Shastri in perpetuating such beliefs.

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