Jharkhand: Family forced to eat human excreta over suspicion of witchcraft

An inhumane incident has come to light in Jharkhand’s Dumka, where four members of a family, including three women, were forced to consume human excreta over alleged suspicion of practising witchcraft. The incident took place on September 24 in Aswari village.

As per police, the family was tortured with a hot iron rod. "4 members of a family, including 3 women, were forced to consume human excreta after they were tortured with a hot iron rod in Aswari village in Sariyahat PS area of Dumka district over allegation that they practised witchcraft," said Naval Kishor Singh, Inspector, Saraiyahat PS.

The women of the family were brutally thrashed by some villagers and have been shifted to Saraiyahat Community Health Centre.

 "The four people were admitted to Saraiyahat Community Health Centre. Later, they were shifted to Deoghar for further treatment. Three women were brutally thrashed after which all four of them were caught and excreta and urine was forcibly put into their mouths," said NK Singh. 

The police have arrested six persons accused of the inhumane act after a victim lodged a First Information Report against them. All the accused persons are being interrogated, Singh said.

During the interrogation, the police disclosed that the accused persons blamed the victims as they alleged that their child was ill because of them.

The police said that the situation in the village is normal however they are still patrolling here.

Prima facie, they found the complainant's allegations of being forced to consume excreta and assault with the hot iron rod by the accused as true.

The police initiated the probe after registering the complaint under Witch Prohibition Act Act 3/4 and assault.

Further investigation in the matter is underway.