Jharkhand woman killed over witchcraft suspicion in West Singhbhum, one held
Synopsis
A 55-year-old woman's throat was slit and her body dumped in a forest gorge in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district after neighbours suspected her of witchcraft. One man has been arrested; three more are being hunted. The case is a grim reminder that despite a 1999 state law, witch-hunt killings continue in Jharkhand's tribal heartland.
Key Takeaways
Chandu Purti , 55 , was allegedly murdered on suspicion of witchcraft in Bundukocha forest village , West Singhbhum , Jharkhand .
The killing reportedly took place on Sunday evening ; the body was found in a forest gorge 200 metres from her home after villagers reported a foul smell on Tuesday .
The victim was allegedly killed by having her throat slit with a sharp-edged weapon.
Premjit Banra , 26 , of Pansuan village was arrested on Wednesday, 20 May ; he reportedly named three other accused during interrogation.
The accused allegedly believed the woman's witchcraft was responsible for his wife's prolonged illness.
The body has been sent to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital for post-mortem; investigation is ongoing.
A 55-year-old woman was allegedly murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, police confirmed on Wednesday, 20 May. One accused has been arrested and a manhunt is underway for at least three others linked to the killing.
How the Crime Came to Light
The incident took place on Sunday evening in Bundukocha forest village, under the limits of Sonua police station. The victim, identified as Chandu Purti, a resident of Baibera village, was allegedly killed by having her throat slit with a sharp-edged weapon. The accused subsequently dumped her body in a forest gorge approximately 200 metres from her home in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
The crime came to light on Tuesday after local villagers detected a foul smell emanating from the forest area and alerted authorities. A police team recovered the body from the gorge following a search of the site.
The Accused and the Motive
Premjit Banra, a 26-year-old resident of Pansuan village, was arrested on Wednesday. During interrogation, he reportedly disclosed the names of three other individuals allegedly involved in the crime. According to police, Banra had suspected Chandu Purti of practising witchcraft, believing she was responsible for his wife's prolonged illness and failure to recover. Acting on this suspicion, he and others allegedly carried out the killing.
Police teams are currently conducting raids to apprehend the remaining absconding accused.
Investigation Under Way
The Station House Officer of Sonua police station confirmed that the body has been sent to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination. Investigators are questioning the deceased's family members and villagers to establish the full extent of the conspiracy and the specific roles of each accused. Further details are expected as the probe progresses.
A Persistent Pattern of Witch-Hunt Violence
Jharkhand has long recorded among the highest rates of witch-hunt killings in India. The state enacted the Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act in 1999, yet such incidents continue to surface with troubling regularity, particularly in forested and tribal-dominated districts. West Singhbhum, where this killing occurred, has seen multiple such cases in recent years, pointing to deep-rooted superstition and inadequate community-level intervention. Rights groups argue that enforcement of the existing law remains inconsistent, and that awareness programmes in remote villages have not kept pace with the scale of the problem.
Point of View
Yet West Singhbhum continues to generate cases with grim regularity. The real question is not whether the arrested accused will be convicted, but why state machinery has failed to break the cycle in tribal villages where superstition fills the vacuum left by inadequate healthcare and social services. When a man kills a neighbour because his wife's illness has no medical explanation he can afford, the failure is systemic, not merely individual. Enforcement of the 1999 Act needs teeth, and community health outreach in these forest villages is long overdue.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was killed in the Jharkhand witchcraft case?
The victim was Chandu Purti , a 55-year-old resident of Baibera village in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. She was allegedly murdered on Sunday evening and her body was found in a forest gorge near Bundukocha village on Tuesday.
Who has been arrested in connection with the killing?
Premjit Banra , 26, of Pansuan village was arrested on Wednesday, 20 May. During interrogation he reportedly named three other individuals involved in the crime; police are conducting raids to apprehend them.
What was the motive behind the killing?
According to police, the accused suspected Chandu Purti of practising witchcraft, believing she was responsible for his wife's prolonged illness. Acting on that suspicion, he and others allegedly killed her.
Is witch-hunt killing illegal in Jharkhand?
Yes. Jharkhand enacted the Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act in 1999, which criminalises witch-hunting. Despite the law, such killings continue to occur, particularly in tribal and forested districts of the state.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The body has been sent to Chaibasa Sadar Hospital for post-mortem. Police are questioning the deceased's family and villagers, and teams are actively searching for the three other accused named by the arrested suspect.
