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GUMLA: Four people in their sixties, including two women, were dragged out of their homes and beaten to death by villagers in Jharkhand ’s Gumla district early on Sunday for allegedly practising witchcraft.

The lynchings took place at Nagar Siskari village, around 120km from the state capital Ranchi. The victims were identified as Chapa Oraon (65), his wife Phiri Devi (62), Suna Oraon (65) and Phagni Devi (60).

Police hadn’t arrested anyone over the killings till late in the night. Gumla SP Anjani Kumar Jha said the case “prima facie appears to be of lynching fuelled by superstition”. He added, “Villagers claim the deceased used to perform bhagatai-jharpoonkh (sorcery). We have seized some items.”

Jharkhand attack: All four made to march to village akhara

Some villagers were apparently convinced that the deceased were out to harm them through witchcraft and may have carried out the attack. We are investigating the incident.”

The police investigation so far has revealed that a mob gathered outside the houses of the victims around 3am to accost them for “harming people through witchcraft”. All four were made to march to the village akhara (wrestling ground), where the mob rained fatal blows on them with sticks and sharp weapons.

By the time Sudhir Prasad Sahu, officer-in-charge of Sisai police station, reached the village , the victims were dead. A social worker had reported the lynchings to the police station.

According to police, Chapa and Phiri used to make a living selling vegetables at the weekly market. The couple’s three sons were labourers. Of the other two victims, Suna used to share his village home with his son and daughter. Phagni, whose sons are employed outside Jharkhand, lived alone.

