Three members of a family, including a nine-year-old boy, were brutally killed in Jharkhand’s Lohardaga district on suspicion of practicing witchcraft. The incident happened on Wednesday night in Kekrang Bartoli village, which comes under the Peshrar police station. The victims were Laxman Nagesia (47), his wife Bifani Nagesia (45), and their young son.
Attack Details
According to the police, the attackers used sharp tools such as an axe and a spade to slit the throats of the victims while they were asleep. After the killings, the attackers locked the house from the outside and ran away.
Discovery of the Crime
The tragedy was discovered on Thursday morning when neighbours became worried after the family did not open their door. They called the local police, and SDPO Vedant Shankar along with Station House Officer Virendra Kumar reached the scene with their team. The bodies were later taken for post-mortem examination.
Survivor’s Account
At the time of the attack, four people were in the house. The only survivor, Sukhmania Nagesia, told the police that villagers had been harassing the family for a long time, accusing them of witchcraft. “A village meeting had been held earlier about this issue,” she said. “On Wednesday night, my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law were asleep when some men broke in and attacked them with an axe. I was locked in my room and could not call for help,” she added.
Police Action and Local Reaction
SDPO Shankar confirmed that the crime was caused by superstition. “All possible angles are being investigated. Police teams are working to identify and arrest the attackers. The case will be solved soon,” he said. Locals told police that rumours about witchcraft had been spreading in the area for months, which increased hostility toward the family.
