Jharkhand man kills neighbor over witchcraft accusation

India Oct 09, 2025

In Jharkhand's Garhwa district, 60-year-old Fulkuria Devi was murdered at home on Monday after her neighbor, Sawan Kisan (42), accused her of witchcraft linked to his brother's earlier death.
Kisan attacked Devi with an ax; during the chaos, Devi's son Amar Lohar fought back and injured Kisan before surrendering to police.

Man will be questioned after he recovers

Police have registered a murder case against Kisan, who is currently in the hospital and will be questioned once he recovers.
Village head Anita Lakra called the tragedy a result of "andhvishwas" (blind belief), stressing that such accusations had never come up in community meetings before.
The District Legal Services Authority visited Devi's family to offer support and will be filing a report for next steps.