Police probing the brutal killing of five members of a family over witchcraft suspicion on Tuesday arrested 12 more persons, including a woman, in Chhattisgarh's tribal-dominated Sukma district.

With this, the number of individuals arrested for the crime over the last three days rose to 17, a police official said. Five persons were arrested on the day of the incident on September 15.

"12 persons, including a woman, identified as Podiyam Kanni, were arrested under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Chhattisgarh Tonhi Pratadna Nivaran Act 2005," he said, adding that arrests were made based on the statements of eyewitnesses and interrogation of other accused held earlier.

Prima facie, the attack was triggered in light of the death of some children or men at regular intervals in Itkal village, police had said.

The accused brutally attacked the victims with sticks, leading to the death of Mausam Kanna (60), his wife Mausam Biri, their son Mausam Buchcha (34) and daughter-in-law Mausam Arjo (32), and Kanna's daughter Karka Lachhi (43).

Police seized wooden sticks used in the crime, which is being investigated from various angles, the official added.

Accused persons were sent to the jail by the local court, he said.

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