MEDININAGAR: Five persons, including three members of a family, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly killing a 25-year-old man over suspicion of witchcraft in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, police said.The incident took place on Wednesday night at Lakadhi Tola in Murma Kala village, under the jurisdiction of Untari Road police station, sub-divisional police officer (Bisrampur) Chiranjivi Mandal said.According to the officer, Prabhu Rajwar (48) suspected that his eight-year-old daughter, who died of an illness on August 2, had been a victim of black magic allegedly practised by his nephew Chanka’s mother and wife.During the investigation, it emerged that Prabhu had consulted an ojha (traditional healer), who allegedly told him that the two women were responsible for his daughter’s death through witchcraft, Mandal said.After returning home, Prabhu allegedly accused Chanka’s mother Lalita Devi and wife Durga Devi of practising witchcraft and assaulted them, leading to a scuffle between the two families.The altercation soon turned violent, with Prabhu and his family members allegedly attacking Chanka and his relatives with an axe and sticks, the SDPO said.Chanka, who was attacked with an axe and lathi, was killed in the melee, the officer said.Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s father, Nandu Rajwar, police arrested Prabhu Rajwar, his wife Jhubli Devi, their son Vimlesh Rajwar, and Guddan Rajwar and Sitaram Rajwar.A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Witchcraft Prevention Act, police said.Police also recovered the blood-stained axe and sticks allegedly used in the crime, the officer added.(With inputs from PTI)
