Five women were brutally killed in Ranchi's Mandar village, allegedly over witchcraft allegations.
"A boy in the area was suffering from many diseases and died on Sunday. His family blamed my mother for his death rather than ill-health. They planned everything last night and then around 11 p.m., they brought the five women one by one to the village's 'akhara', tore their clothes off, and then beat them with swords and sticks," Angni Oraim, whose mother was among the deceased, told ANI.
"They were beaten so badly that even their faces couldn't be recognized," she added.
Another villager, Amrita Khalkho, whose mother Itwariya Khalkho was also killed, said her brother had lodged a complaint with the police.
"They branded my mother a witch. They had threatened my mother earlier and they came last night
and killed her. My brother went to the police station and lodged a complaint," said Amrita Khalkho.