A 50-year-old woman identified as Sumitra Baraik was on Saturday arrested for hacking an elderly couple to death last night on suspicion of them having done black-magic on her 17 year old daughter leading to her illness for last many days. The incident occurred under Chainpur police station area in Gumla district.

The deceased were relatives of the accused. They were identified as Lundra Baraik and Pulma Baraik, both in late 60s, said police. They had one son and two daughters. During the incident, son was away from home while their daughters lived outside Gumla after marriage.

Sumati on the other hand was the wife of Lundra’s younger brother but is now separated. She used to live nearby the deceased’s house in Bukma village.

According to police, Sumitra’s daughter was unwell for about last six days and was undergoing treatment in a local hospital in Gumla. However, her situation wasn’t improving. “Yesterday, Sumati had a tiff with Lundra and his wife over some issue during which the latter cursed her that her daughter won’t get cured. This angered her and hacked them to death in the night while the couples were having dinner,” said a local source.

Officer in-charge of Chainpur police station Krishna Kumar Gupta confirmed the incident stating that the accused have been arrested. “The murder was on suspicion of witchcraft. Yesterday morning, villagers held a meeting to solve some arguments between the two parties but they failed. In the night, the lady hacked the couple to death. Further probe is on,” told reporters.

Gumla is among the districts where witch-hunting related crimes often take place despite routine awareness drives by the administration. Last year in February, five of a family were hacked to death in Buruhatu Amtola in Kamdara block. In December 2020, a 60 year old woman was axed to death in Koinara village under Sadar police station in Gumla district on similar suspicion.