Phansidewa, 01st July: A distressing incident has surfaced from Jujh Tola of Petki in Phansidewa, where a woman was brutally assaulted after being accused of being a witch by her in-laws. The incident came to light following a formal complaint lodged by the victim’s brother at the Phansidewa police station.
According to reports, on June 26, Bachamani Tuku, a local woman, was accused of being a witch by her in-laws after the funeral rites of her husband. They allegedly subjected her to severe physical abuse, forced her into a vehicle, and sent her off at her brother’s residence. During this, the accused in-laws informed the victim’s family that she was under the influence of alcohol.
Subsequently, due to her unconsciousness for two days, the victim’s family decided to admit her to a hospital. They further observed several signs of physical injury on her body and subsequently admitted her to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) for treatment.
Following this, the victim’s brother filed a written complaint at Phansidewa police station against four members of her in-laws. However, no arrests have been made as of now. It is alleged that the woman had been previously beaten up on similar allegations of practicing witchcraft.
The victim’s brother and family members have demanded strict action against the accused. Meanwhile, Mangal Soren, the victim’s brother-in-law, has denied all accusations and termed the allegations as baseless.