Elderly woman, daughter-in-law beaten black and blue for 'practising witchcraft’ in Saptari village

RAJBIRAJ: In yet another case of superstition, two women were accused of practising witchcraft and attacked by their relatives in a village in Saptari district.

A 60-year-0ld woman and her 26-year-old daughter-in-law were beaten black and blue by villagers in Parsahi, Madhepura VDC-6 of the district on Sunday.

Both women sustained serious injuries on different body parts in the attack and are undergoing treatment at the Rajbiraj-based Gajendra Narayan Singh Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital. While the 60-year-old has wounds on her chest and legs, her daughter-in-law has injuries on her head. Both have bruises on their backs.

“We were at home when our distant relative and neighbour Ram Prasad Mandal, his wife Chhuthari Devi and some other people came to attack us,” the elderly victim said from the hospital bed, “They accused us of killing their granddaughter by casting the evil spells."

Both of them had fallen unconscious before the attackers escaped the scene, according to her.

A two-year-old daughter of one of the alleged assaulters, Shiva Mandal, had drowned in a local pond around a month ago.

The girl's family had summoned a shaman after the incident, who surmised that the two women cast evil spirits on the child and took her life.

The elderly victim’s husband said they had attacked the women earlier also.

Meanwhile, he filed an FIR at the District Police Office (DPO) demanding action against the attackers.

DSP Narayan Prasad Chimariya at the DPO said police have started an investigation into the case.

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