In two separate incidents last week, two women in Malda district managed to escape death after locals attacked them over claims that they were practicing witchcraft and thereby bringing harm to them. Both women are admitted in hospital while none of the attackers in either of the cases has been arrested.

In Habibpur, Laxmi Murmu, 50, had been threatened several times in the past by one of her neighbours, Ratan Hansda, who would not only call her a witch and hurl abuses but also accuse her every time someone fell ill in his home, according to the police complaint filed by Laxmi’s younger sister Sulekha.

“Around 8 pm Sunday, Hansda found that my sister was alone in the house and came in with some of his friends, armed with a sickle. They beat her up mercilessly and Hansda hit her in the head with the sickle. They fled only after others intervened upon hearing my sister’s cries for help,” Sulekha told the police.

Malda Superintendent of Police Prasun Banerjee said, “Police is after the accused who is currently absconding. A probe has been started.” He added that Laxmi, who is recuperating from her injuries at a hospital, has identified Hansda as the attacker.

In the other incident, reported from Malda’s English Bazar the following day, Minati Das, aged 30, was beaten up and paraded in public with a garland of shoes around her neck and her face painted black, local police said. Residents in her neighbourhood have branded her a “witch” who has been “preventing her employer from getting his son treated for his increasing psychiatric problems”.

“Her employer claims that she would cast spells on him that would convince him against taking his son to the doctor. Others said she would bring ill-fortune on everyone around them,” a senior police officer said.

The woman was rescued by the police when she was being paraded in the neighbourhood. “When we rescued her, locals told us they were planning to burn her alive as they believed it was the only way to end the witchcraft,” the officer added. Das, too, is admitted

SP Banerjee said no arrests have been made in this case either but the “matter was being investigated”. He said the woman is undergoing treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital.

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