Four of family hacked to death in Jharkhand, attacker held

Ranchi, Jan 20: Four members of a family were hacked to death on Wednesday in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur district by a man whose wife was earlier killed on suspicion of witchcraft, police said.

Police said Basko Tudu was arrested on the charge of murdering two brothers and two women members of their family at Patharbaggha village in Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum) district, around 170 km from Ranchi.

Basko first hacked to death Thapa Tudu and then went inside his house and hacked his brother Ramesh, his wife and their sister. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.

Shayam Tudu alias Bhairo had allegedly killed Basko’s wife on January 15 after branding her a witch. Shayam is at present lodged in a jail.

As many as 40 to 50 women branded as witches are killed in Jharkhand every year. (IANS)