Bihar horror: Five family members burned alive in Purnia village over 'witchcraft' claims

Crime

In a horrific case of superstition turning deadly, five members of a family, including three women, were beaten and set ablaze by a mob in Bihar’s Purnia district over accusations of practising ‘witchcraft’. The brutal attack took place late on Sunday night in Tetgama village, where a 50-strong mob allegedly stormed the house of Sita Devi, thrashing the family before burning them alive.

The only survivor, 16-year-old Sonu Kumar, managed to escape and alerted authorities. "People from the village came with bamboo sticks and beat everyone, calling my mother a 'witch'. They beat up five people, including my mother, father, brother and sister-in-law. The other villagers did not stop them," Sonu told reporters, as reported by NDTV.

Police said the attackers later hid the bodies under water hyacinth. Purnia Sub-Divisional Police Officer Pankaj Kumar Sharma confirmed that Sonu filed a complaint on Monday. "Sonu Kumar said his family members were beaten and burned on suspicion of practising 'witchcraft' and their bodies were thrown away. We have recovered the bodies," Sharma was cited by NDTV.

According to authorities, the mob’s rage stemmed from the death of a villager’s son and another falling severely ill. "One of the children of Ramdev Oraon died three days back and the other child fell sick. The villagers suspected Sita Devi of practising 'witchcraft' and it seems that this is the reason they attacked the family," Sharma explained.

ETV Bharat reported that two people, including an occult practitioner, have been arrested so far. Superintendent of Police Sweety Sahrawat stated that all victims belonged to the Oraon community. "Prima facie, it appears to be a case of occult activity. The help of a dog squad and forensic experts is being sought," she said.

An eyewitness from the family claimed the attackers were also from the Oraon community, raising concerns over internal tensions. Police are now camped in the village, with forensic teams scouring the scene for evidence. Authorities have vowed to arrest all involved.