Two middle-aged tribal women in Birbhum district were beaten to death by neighbours on suspicion of practising witchcraft, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday night. The bodies of two women, identified as Lodgi Kisku and Dolly Soren, were found in an irrigation canal near Harisarah village under Mayureswar police station.
The police have arrested 15 people in connection with the incident, who were later produced in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rampurhat.
Four of them, including a relative of one of the deceased, were remanded to police custody for six days and others were sent to 14 days’ judicial remand.
Additionally, the police said that they received a video clip connected with the alleged lynching and are analysing the footage.
According to the police, the family of the two deceased women have alleged that neighbours dragged the women from their homes and beat them with sticks before tying them up with ropes.
Rani Kisku, a daughter of Lodki Kisku, said, “My cousin and other villagers dragged my mother out of home. My two brothers were away, we couldn’t protect her.” “We are yet to ascertain the exact cause of death, the bodies have been sent for autopsy,” said a police official. The bodies of the victims have been sent for a post-mortem examination. While a larger police force has been deployed in the village, further investigation into the matter is on.
—With PTI Inputs
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com.
