RANCHI: In yet another suspected case of witchcraft-related violence, a man allegedly hacked his two elder sisters to death with an axe in Dhalbhumgarh in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district, in order to 'cure' his illness.
The accused, identified as Swaroop Tudu, later went to a police station and confessed to the killings, following which he was arrested.
The deceased were identified as Dulari Soren, 55, and Lakshmi Mardi, 50.
According to reports, Tudu, who had been unwell for a long time, had sought treatment from a traditional healer. On the healer’s advice, he summoned his two elder sisters from their marital homes on Sunday and invited them to attend a ritual and prayer ceremony in the village.
After the rituals concluded, the two women went to sleep. In the early hours of Monday, Tudu allegedly attacked them with an axe while they were asleep, killing them.
Villagers said Tudu locked the house after the killings and went to the police station.
During the investigation, police also found evidence that a ritual had been performed in the house to 'cure' himself based on the advise from traditional healer.
Dhalbhumgarh police station officer-in-charge Neeraj Mishra said that questioning villagers and examining the ritual materials found at the house suggested that the crime might have been committed under the influence of a traditional healer.
Police were investigating the case from all possible angles, he said.
Tudu, a farmer, married a woman from Dhangakamal village three years ago but has been living separately from her, according to reports. Various Ayurvedic and allopathic medicines were also found at his house.
Mishra said the exact motive behind the killings, including whether they were linked to superstition or an underlying mental health condition, had not yet been established.