In a harrowing incident that has shocked India, a woman and her 10-month-old son were burnt alive in the neighbouring country’s Jharkhand state following accusations of “witchcraft.”
The attack, which took place in the remote tribal village of Kudsai, also left the woman’s husband critically injured, reports Indian media.
The victims have been identified as Jyoti Sinku and her infant son. According to local reports, the violence erupted on Tuesday night, 17 February, after a mob of approximately 12 people – including five women – stormed the family’s home and set it ablaze.
Jyoti’s husband, Kolhan Sinku, who is currently undergoing treatment for severe burns at a local hospital, recalled the horror of the night.
He stated that he had pleaded with the attackers to resolve any grievances through the village council, but his requests were ignored as the mob set fire to the room where his wife and child were located.
Roots of the superstition
The tragedy was reportedly triggered by a series of recent misfortunes in the village, including the death of cattle and the illness of a local man, Pustun Birua. Birua’s wife, Jano, told the media that their family was too poor to afford a hospital and that the nearest facility was a significant distance away.
Instead, she sought advice from an untrained local healthcare practitioner, who allegedly claimed that her husband’s fainting spells and anxiety were not caused by a physical ailment.
When Pustun Birua died on Tuesday evening, rumours identifying Jyoti Sinku as a “witch” responsible for the death reached a breaking point, leading to the fatal attack that same night.
4 arrested over incident
Jharkhand police have arrested four individuals in connection with the murders and are currently searching for additional accomplices. The village of Kudsai, consisting of roughly 50 mud houses, is located approximately 250km from the state capital, Ranchi.
This incident highlights a persistent and deadly issue in regional tribal areas where a lack of formal healthcare often allows superstition to flourish.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, over 2,500 people – the majority of whom were women – were killed in India on suspicion of witchcraft between 2000 and 2016.
The Kudsai murders follow another recent atrocity in the neighbouring state of Bihar, where five members of a single family were similarly killed and allegedly burnt alive over identical accusations.
Experts note that these crimes are most prevalent in disadvantaged communities where “fake” medical practitioners often replace an absent public health system.
