RANCHI: Eleven of the 43 accused persons get life imprisonment for killing five women mercilessly after pulling them out of their houses one after another accusing them of witches.
Court of Additional Judicial Commissioner SS Prasad, however, acquitted 28 other accused persons in the case after it did not find substantial evidences against them.
A group of villagers first held a meeting before committing the crime and later pulled the women out of their houses one after another, tore their clothes and beat them to death using traditional weapons and sticks.
"All the 11 persons who have been given life imprisonment were evidently present there in dragging the five women out of their homes and beating them to death," said advocate Nityanand Singh, who was appointed by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) to provide free legal aide to one of the accused persons Chamra Khalkho, also acquitted by the Court. They were found involved in all the four cases registered in the matter under Section 302 of IPC, he added.
Five women - Madni Khalkho, Etwaria Khalkho, Jasinta Khalkho, Tetari Khalkho and Ratiya Khalkho were allegedly killed after being accused of practicing witchcraft by local youths on August 11.
The inconceivable cruelty, triggered by death of a schoolboy due to illness happened a little after midnight at Kanjia Marhatola in Mandar block, some 40 km from Ranchi. They could not be saved by their kin as the armed youths also attacked and threatened them for their lives.
Those who were convicted and sentenced life imprisonment are - Arun Bada, Krishna Khalkho, Sannu Khalkho, Albinus Khalkho, Baldeo Khalkho, Rajesh Tigga Romit Khalkho, Sachin Khalkho his brother Sandip Khalkho along with Barnwas Khalkho, his two sons Xavier and Mojesh Khalkho.