RANCHI: An elderly woman was stripped and parts of her body slashed with a blade after being thrashed by a group of people accusing her of practicing witchcraft in Hazaribagh. The mob not only tortured her, but also forcefully tonsured the woman's head at Pretshila at Gayaji.
Interestingly, all seven accused are her relatives.
The incident happened in Jabariya village under Barhi police station in Hazaribagh at around 10 pm on Friday (July 18), and lasted till 3 am on Saturday (July 19).
The victim filed a complaint in this regard at Barhi police station on July 20.
After the matter came into light, the police arrested one accused and sent him to jail on Monday.
According to the complaint filed by the victim at Barhi police station, seven people from the same village entered her house on Friday night and stripped her, accusing her of practising witchcraft.
"After stripping her, the woman was thrashed badly and various parts of her body were cut with a blade, letting blood ooze out," stated the FIR. The accused drained the woman's blood, allegedly to perform a ritual, the FIR further said.
According to the woman, the accused demanded a sum of Rs 80,000, and took Rs 20,000 from her.
After torturing her, the accused brought the wounded woman to Barhi market and left her there on Saturday night. The woman managed to walk back to her home shortly after.
The next day, the woman went to the police station with her son, and filed a complaint against the accused persons.
According to police, investigations are on, keeping in mind all aspects into consideration.
"One of the accused persons, Shambhu Yadav, has been arrested and sent to jail, while the search is still on for the other accused persons," said officer in-charge of Barhi Police Station Aabhas Kumar. No accused will be spared, he added.