An illustrative image of a person holding up handcuffed wrists as police car lights flash behind them. (photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK) via TJP
The family were reportedly beaten and burned to death, transported via tractor and buried in a pond after a mob of more than 50 villagers attacked the family home in Tetgama village.
Report from India says, a family of five has been murdered, on Sunday night, in the Purnea district of Bihar in eastern India after members of the family were accused of involvement with various village deaths attributed to “witchcraft,” according to local police.
According to the Jerusalem Post, they were reportedly beaten and burned to death, transported via tractor and buried in a pond after a mob of more than 50 villagers attacked the family home in Tetgama village.
Three people have been arrested in connection to the murders by Bihar police as of Tuesday morning.
The attack came after a young local village boy died from an unknown illness. Spurred on by the deceased child’s father, villagers suspected that the cause of death was witchcraft at the hands of Babu Lal Oraon and his wife Sita Devi, two of the murder victims.
According to the Bihar Police statement, the boy’s father, who is the main suspect in the case, was “threatening Babu Lal Oraon to cure his nephew” after he had fallen ill in the same way as his son had.
This account comes from the sole surviving family member, a 17-year-old male who evaded the attack by hiding as the violent mob approached around 10 p.m. local time on July 6.
The victims were identified as 65-year-old Babu Lal, his 60-year-old wife Sita Devi, and their son Manjeet Oraon alongside his wife Rani Devi, 25 and 22 respectively.
Babu Lal Oraon’s mother, 75-year-old Kato Mosmat, was also murdered in the attack.
Police recovered and identified the bodies and gathered necessary evidence for the case, including the transport tractor, a gallon container that likely held a flammable liquid, and mobile phones.
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Though only three arrests have been made in this case so far, not including the main suspect, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed in Purnea, Bihar “to arrest the remaining accused in this case and to conduct further investigation on other aspects.”
All three arrested suspects have confessed to involvement in the fatal attack.
The prevalence of witchcraft killings in India
Confidence in modern science and logic is increasing, but belief in witchcraft is still widespread in many communities across the world, including more rural areas in India.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) of India, a reported 85 murders were motivated by “witchcraft” across all Indian states and territories in 2022.
The NCRB also reports over 2,500 murders with “witchcraft” as the motive between 2000 and 2020, primarily targeting female victims.
This type of case is far from unheard of in India. In March 2025, a 50-year-old woman was murdered in the Bihar border state of Jharkhand for allegedly practicing witchcraft and similar cases have been consistently coming to light.
These violent witch hunts typically occur in response to presumed paranormal activity, but many experts say they are often weaponized as a way to oppress women. Durga Mahato faced the latter condition as she was labeled a “witch” and attacked for rejecting a male partner.
People have historically accused others of witchcraft to explain any phenomenon that doesn’t follow rational thought, such as major financial loss, mysterious illnesses, and death.
From the witch trials in Germany in the late 1500s to the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century and modern-day examples such as the ongoing sporadic murders in Papua New Guinea, the global population is no stranger to a witch hunt. – TJP
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