Superstition Turns Deadly: 2 Arrested in West Singhbhum Murder

Even as India advances in science and technology, a superstitious belief in witchcraft has cost an elderly woman her life in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district. The case from Chaibasa has drawn attention to the dangerous consequences of myths such as witch-hunting, and police have arrested two suspects.

The incident was reported from Koljomdo village under Karaikela police station jurisdiction. On Friday night, a 60-year-old woman named Rendai Sunbaruai, wife of Sadhu Charan Sunbaruai, was sleeping inside her home. At around midnight, roughly four unidentified men broke into the house by forcing the door open. They assaulted her with sticks and clubs, and she died on the spot due to the severity of the attack.

On Saturday morning, relatives and villagers found out about the killing, and the news caused widespread shock in the area. The police arrived soon after, took custody of the body and dispatched it for post-mortem.

Why the accused targeted her

Investigation and local accounts point to a belief in black magic as the root cause. One of the four accused had a wife who had been unwell for a long period. The accused suspected that Rendai Sunbaruai was a witch and had performed witchcraft that stopped the sick woman from recovering. This irrational suspicion led them to commit the crime.

Police action and ongoing search

Karaikela police responded quickly with a raid that led to the detention of two accused. Teams are now actively searching for the remaining fugitives at their possible hiding places.