Mob burns mother, infant to death in India's Jharkhand branding her a 'witch'; 4 arrested

Four persons were arrested on charges of burning alive a 32-year-old woman and her 2-month-old newborn baby to death, branding her as "witch" in Kalaiya (Kudasai) village under Kumardungi police station (PS) in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand even as the husband of the deceased woman was battling for life in a hospital with severe burns injuries, police said on Wednesday (18 February).

Four persons were arrested on charges of burning alive a 32-year-old woman and her 2-month-old newborn baby to death, branding her as 'witch' in Kalaiya (Kudasai) village under Kumardungi police station (PS) in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand even as the husband of the deceased woman was battling for life in a hospital with severe burns injuries, police said on Wednesday.

"We received the information about the incident on Wednesday morning. Four people have been arrested in this connection. Evidence is being collected, and further investigation is ongoing to identify other culprits involved," Amit Renu, West Singhbhum superintendent of police (SP), told HT on Wednesday.

The shocking incident occurred late Tuesday night when 40-year-old Kolhan Sinku, his 32-year-old second wife Jyoti Sinku, their 2-year-old son and their 2-month-old newborn baby were sleeping in a room of their house.

"A case has been registered under sections 103(1), 238, 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and 3/4 of the With Hunting Prevention Act against five named and three unnamed accused on the basis of Kolhan Sinku's recorded statement. Four named accused, 29-year-old Rasika alias Cheche Birua, 19-year-old Jena Birua, 36-year-old Sona Birua and 20-year-old Delka Sinku have been arrested on charges of burning Jyoti Sinku and her 2-month-old newborn baby, branding her as 'witch'. Forensic team is conducting scientific investigation while police investigation is also ongoing," Raphael Murmu, Jagannathpur SDPO, said.

"Our nephew, in village relation, Rasika Birua, suddenly came and called me out last night. When I came out, I saw over a dozen people in the courtyard. The crowd accused Jyoti of being a 'witch'. I tried to assuage them and suggested discussing and deciding it in the panchayat the next morning. But they poured petrol on both of us and set us on fire. I somehow ran away with fire on my body. I reached Kumardungi PS naked late in the night, but no one opened the door. I spent the night in the house of a relative and informed the police. They got me admitted to the hospital and then went to the village," Kolhan Sinku said in his statement to the police.

As per available information, over a dozen people, including ten from a single family, have admitted before the police that they set the family of Kolhan Sinku on fire for allegedly practising 'witchcraft'.