In a shocking incident in India’s Bihar state, villagers brutally murdered a family of five, accusing them of practicing witchcraft after a young boy’s death, police reported on Tuesday.
Authorities have arrested three individuals who have admitted to the killings. Among the victims were three women, one of whom was 75 years old.
According to police, the primary suspect blamed one of the victims for his son’s recent death, accusing the entire family of witchcraft. After fatally beating them, the attackers transported the bodies on a tractor and dumped them in a nearby pond.
Both the perpetrators and the victims belonged to the Oraon tribe, an indigenous group in Bihar—India’s poorest state, home to around 130 million people, predominantly Hindus.
Despite ongoing efforts to combat superstition, belief in witchcraft remains prevalent in rural and tribal regions of India. Several states, including Bihar, have enacted laws to address violence linked to witchcraft accusations.
While women are most commonly targeted, this incident stands out due to the brutality and number of victims involved.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, over 1,500 people—mostly women—were killed in India between 2010 and 2021 on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. In many cases, such accusations are fueled not just by superstition, but also by disputes over land and property.
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