5 of family, including 3 women, murdered on ‘witchcraft’ suspicion; 5 held

RAIPUR: Five members of a family, including three women, were brutally murdered in Sukma district of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, on suspicion of practising witchcraft on Sunday. The five alleged accused surrendered and were subsequently arrested by the police, according to Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran G Chavan. The SP dismissed any Maoist involvement in the case.
"We are investigating every angle of the case.Police are probing if there were any earlier disputes over allegations of black magic or witchcraft on the family. The villagers of Etkal village in Konta have alleged that the family was practising witchcraft and they believed it caused health issues among the children and people's personal loss. The villagers, the accused especially, believed that the family was responsible for the illness of the children of the village and their personal loss," the SP told TOI. Some residents of the village had reportedly been experiencing personal losses and suspected that the family was practising witchcraft against them, sources claimed.
The victims were identified as Mousam Kanna, 60, Mousam Buchcha, 34, Mousam Biri, Karka Lachhi, 43, and Mousam Arjo, 32.
The accused in the case are Savlam Rajesh, 21, Savlam Hidma, Karam Satyam, 35, Kunjam Mukesh, 25, and Podiyam Eka, all residents of Ektal village.
The SP stated that he had personally visited the crime scene and inquired about the case. It was revealed that the accused used lathis and axes in the incident. "We will ensure all the accused are arrested," the SP said. The attack was carried out inside the victims' house.
On Sunday, a few villagers entered the family's home and one by one attacked all the members. Nearby residents informed the police, who then arrived at the scene.