NEW DELHI: Six people in the Indian state of Orissa have been arrested over the killing of a mother and four children, but police assume more people involved in the crime can be arrested.
The bodies of Mangri Munda and her children were discovered in a well near their home on 26 January, BBC reported.
“Witch hunts”, targeting women are fairly common across many parts of rural India.
Senior police officer Kavita Jalan said that the main accused claimed to be a “witch doctor”.
He had alleged that Munda and her children of “casting spells” on another family in the village who lived in a nearby tribal settlement of Sundergarh district
On 25 January, a group of men forced themselves into Munda’s home late at night, when she and her two sons and two daughters – aged one, four, seven and 12 respectively – were asleep.
They beat them all up with wooden sticks and an axe before disposing their bodies into a well.
Branding women as witches is a common practice in the tribal communities in the state.
Police said they are searching for more suspects involved in the crime.
“It is necessary to raise awareness among people in the village against such superstitious activities,” Jalan said.
Killings related to “witchcraft” are on an increase in Orissa, despite laws that ban witch hunts.
Nine people were given the death penalty last year for killing three members of a family who were allegedly believed to be witches.
Women are also regularly targeted in the states of Assam and Jharkhand for similar reasons.
Police records indicate that 99 cases of “witch hunting” were recorded in Orissa in 2017, which is a significant rise from the previous year when 83 cases were recorded.
According to experts, superstitious beliefs are behind some of these killings, but there are incidents when people – especially widows – are purposely targeted for their land and property.
