SIRAHA: Rasodevi Yadav (50) of Muksar VDC has been confined to her house for long and her movement restricted by locals accusing her of witchcraft. Yadav, who was sitting in her small hut lamented, "All the people in the village neglect me, how can I go out?'' adding, "There is no meaning of my survival.''

On December 7 last year, a group of her neighbours had forcefully made her eat human excreta while she was preparing to send her son to school. She said, "I stopped sending my son to school after that and I have not been able to go out for work.''

Shantidevi Yadav and Gulabdevi Yadav, who had mistreated Rasodevi, are still at large. Rasodevi added,'' The police said it would settle the case in the village.'' Gulabidevi, who was arrested, was also released on bail. The police have not dared to detain Shantidevi, though.

However, bowing to pressure from human rights organisations, Deepak Regmi, Police Inspector, Area Police Office Mirchaiya, had promised to take action against the culprits.

Another Asha Devi Raya from Lahan Municipality-8 also shares a similar story. She lamented that villagers beat her accusing her of practicing witchcraft. She added, the villagers charged Rs 8,000 as a fine from me.

A local, Ashok Mandal said, 10 women accused of witchcraft have been manhandled in the district in the last six months. But none of the culprits have been brought to books, he added.