A tribal couple and their 12-year-old son were brutally hacked to death late on Monday night in Danga Tola under Devdand Police Station limits in Jharkhand‘s Godda district, allegedly by relatives who suspected them of practising witchcraft. The bodies were discovered on Tuesday morning, triggering panic and an atmosphere of fear and outrage in the village. Three suspects have since been arrested.
The deceased have been identified as Darbari Murmu, aged around 50 to 55, his wife Makku Baskey, aged around 45 to 50, and their son Jeetnarayan Murmu, who was 12 years old. All three were attacked with sharp-edged weapons, and police have recovered the axe used in the killings.
How the Crime Came to Light
Villagers discovered the bodies on Tuesday morning and alerted the authorities. Godda Sub-Divisional Police Officer Ashok Priyadarshi, Devdand Police Station in-charge Amit Marki, and Porayahat Police Station in-charge Mahavir Pandit rushed to the spot with police personnel and launched an immediate investigation. The three bodies were sent to Sadar Hospital in Godda for post-mortem examination.
Accused Admit to Witchcraft Suspicion
SDPO Priyadarshi confirmed that three persons had been arrested in connection with the killings and were being interrogated. During initial questioning, the accused told police that they suspected the victims of practising witchcraft. “A tribal couple and their minor son were hacked to death at Danga Tola in Godda. Prima facie, the case appears to be linked to witchcraft; however, the police are investigating while keeping all aspects into consideration,” the SDPO said.
He added that a special investigation team had been constituted to probe every aspect of the case and assured that the entire conspiracy behind the crime would be exposed shortly.
The killing of an entire family, including a child, over witchcraft suspicion has once again drawn attention to the persistence of superstition-driven violence in tribal communities in Jharkhand, where such incidents continue to occur despite laws specifically enacted to prevent witch-hunting and the violence associated with it.
