Dumka, 22 August (HS). A case has come to light in Bandarkola village of Saraiyahat police station area of the district where a middle aged woman was held captive overnight and tortured due to superstition of witchcraft. The police took immediate action in the case and arrested the accused and sent them to jail.
Regarding the incident, Jhapni Hembram (59) has given an application in the police station and told that Shankar Murmu and his younger son of her village are always ill. On Wednesday night, Shankar Murmu called her and took her to his house, where ten to twelve people were already present in the guise of Baba. And they branded her with hot iron and said that she is a witch. Meanwhile, some people started making her smell different kinds of herbs. After this, mantras were chanted with goat, pigeon, cat, feather etc. brought by the Babas. She was tortured calling her a witch the whole night. Police registered a case against Shankar Murmu and the Babas who practice exorcism in this matter and arrested 12 people and sent them to judicial custody.
Those arrested include Shankar Murmu, Devlal Tudu, Surajphool Hansda, both from village Danduakuda, Muni Murmu, Lurathu Soren, Munku Hansda, all three from village Titlakhi, Bahamuni Hansda, village Barisat, Surajmuni Soren from village Salaiya, Talo Tudu, Dilip Marandi, both from village Kothidinda, Ajit Hembram from village Salaiya and Police Tudu from village Berisal, all from Jaipur police station, Banka district, Bihar.