Two arrested within 24 hours for murder of elderly woman in Khunti
Surendra Soren
Khunti
Police have solved the murder of a 75-year-old woman in Jharkhand’s Khunti district within 24 hours, arresting two neighbours who allegedly killed her over suspicions of witchcraft rooted in superstition.
The victim, Etwari Devi, was murdered on July 2 at Kitahatu village under the Sayko police station limits. According to police, she was in the courtyard of her house when the accused allegedly attacked her with sharp-edged and blunt weapons, killing her on the spot.
Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s grandson, Birsa Munda, Sayko Police registered Case No. 12/2026 under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unknown persons and launched an investigation.
On the directions of Superintendent of Police Rishabh Garg, a special investigation team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer Mangal Singh Jamuda was constituted. Acting on technical inputs and human intelligence, the team arrested two suspects from Kitahatu village itself.
The accused have been identified as Dinay Munda (20) and Mangal Munda (19), both neighbours of the deceased. During interrogation, police said the duo confessed to the crime. Investigators also recovered a bamboo stick, stones and other articles allegedly used in the murder based on their disclosure.
According to the preliminary investigation, the crime was motivated by deep-rooted superstition. Police said the accused believed Etwari Devi practised witchcraft. They alleged that after the elderly woman once held Mangal Munda’s child, the child fell ill. Similarly, the illness of Dinay Munda’s mother was also attributed to alleged witchcraft by the victim. Acting on these beliefs, the two allegedly conspired to kill her.
Describing the incident as tragic, SP Rishabh Garg said the murder highlights the continuing menace of superstition and witch-hunting in rural areas. He appealed to people not to rely on occult practices or superstitious beliefs in cases of illness and instead seek treatment at the nearest health centre. He also stressed the need for sustained public awareness campaigns to eradicate such social evils.
