Palamu: Three members of a family were brutally killed with sharp weapons in a village in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, police said on Sunday. A 16-year-old girl from the same family was seriously injured and is battling for her life.
The incident occurred after midnight in Kusri village under Asehar panchayat, within the Panki police station limits. Preliminary investigations indicate that the attack was driven by superstition and allegations of witchcraft.
The victims have been identified as Vijay Bhuiyan, his wife Hewanti Devi, and their son Chhotu Bhuiyan. Their daughter, Mamta Kumari, sustained critical injuries and has been admitted to the Panki Community Health Centre, where doctors said her condition remains serious.
Police rushed to the scene after receiving information, cordoned off the area, and launched an investigation. Two neighbours, Ravindra Bhuiyan and Pramod Bhuiyan, have been named as accused.
According to police and local residents, Vijay Bhuiyan had long-standing disputes with some villagers, who allegedly accused his family of practising black magic and witchcraft. Several arguments had reportedly taken place earlier, and village councils had been convened in the past to resolve the issue.
On Saturday night, a group of people allegedly entered the house, assaulted the family members, and then attacked them with sharp weapons, killing three on the spot.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the village, with a large number of villagers and relatives gathering at the crime scene.
Panki police station in-charge Rajesh Ranjan said swift action was taken based on information from villagers. “The case is being thoroughly investigated, and search operations are underway to arrest all those involved,” he said.
The crime scene is about 35 km from the Panki police station in a Maoist-affected area. Police are exercising additional caution while carrying out operations to apprehend the perpetrators.
With inputs from IANS