A 48-year-old woman in Chhattisgarh was killed by her husband and three others after he accused her of witchcraft, blaming her for their inability to have a child and giving his father cancer, police said on Tuesday, adding that the three have been arrested.
The incident took place in Jati Mahua village in the tribal-dominated Jashpur district. The victim has been identified as Joydi Bai, 48, wife of Thoban Ram.
The matter came to light on March 6 when the victim’s younger brother, Sahlo Ram, 30, went to the Sanaa police station and told police that his sister had died under suspicious circumstances at her home. The police began an investigation and found bloodstains on and around the body and clear signs of injury on the body. An autopsy confirmed the murder and said death was caused by serious injuries caused by a hard, blunt object.
The police registered a case under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Sana police station, questioned several villagers and family members and then arrested the victim’s husband Thuban Ram, 45, his other wife Phula Bai, 48, and two local residents – Sunil Ram, 23, and his wife Suranti Bai, 22.
During interrogation, Fola Bai told police that she had a heated argument with Gwede Bai at their home at 2pm on March 5, which escalated into a physical altercation. After some time, Thuban Ram allegedly lured Gwedi Bai to a hut where Phula Bai and the two other accused were present. They began drinking Gifta, a traditional homemade alcoholic beverage, and Sunil Ram then accused Goydi Bai of witchcraft and held her responsible for his family’s misfortunes, including his inability to have a child and his father suffering from cancer, police said.
The four then killed her, police said. The police said that the accused brought the body back to her home, placed it on the bed and covered it with a blanket.
