Six Held After Woman Suffers Severe Burns in Jharkhand Witchcraft Assault

Six people were arrested in Garhwa district on Sunday for allegedly assaulting a 55-year-old woman and pouring boiling water on her over suspicion of witchcraft, police said.

The incident took place on August 22 in Bhojpur village under the Nagar Untari police station area, according to Garhwa Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar.

The woman was allegedly confronted by a group of villagers who accused her of practising witchcraft. She was reportedly beaten by some of the accused before boiling water was allegedly poured over her, leaving her with severe burn injuries, police said.

Following the incident, a case was registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the state’s Witchcraft Prevention Act, the SP said.

The six accused, all residents of Bhojpur village, had allegedly been absconding since the incident. Police launched efforts to trace them and arrested all six on Sunday.

The arrested individuals were subsequently produced before a local court, which remanded them to judicial custody, police said.

The case highlights the continuing threat posed by superstition and witchcraft-related accusations in parts of Jharkhand, where vulnerable individuals have at times faced violence after being branded as practitioners of witchcraft.

Police have initiated further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assault, including the events that led to the woman being targeted and the role allegedly played by each of the accused.

Authorities have repeatedly stressed the need to prevent violence arising from superstition and to take legal action against those involved in such attacks.

The investigation is continuing, and further details regarding the woman’s condition and the circumstances of the alleged assault are awaited.