The family of Fandi Sardar, whose fingers were chopped off by his son allegedly on a tribal kangaroo court’s orders over witchcraft claims, fled their Birbhum home on Wednesday night, hours after another of his sons lodged a police complaint.

The relatives alleged threats of “dire consequences” from a section of villagers and a “social boycott” after the arrests of six persons following the complaint. Fandi, 66, is in Burdwan Medical College and Hospital with his condition stable, a doctor said.

After leaving home, 19 members of Fandi’s family, mostly women and children, took shelter under a makeshift shed on a highway 3km from their village Rashakrishnapur in Birbhum’s Parui.

“Some villagers threatened to burn our houses as my husband lodged the complaint,” said Lalita Sardar, the wife of Fandi’s elder son Lakshmiram who named younger brother Harichandra for cutting off their father’s fingers along with 11 others.

The police escorted the group back home from their road shelter. “The police have promised protection but it is hard to stay here. We’ve been boycotted. The local grocer has stopped selling us items,” said Jayanti, a niece of Fandi.

Harichandra and the others arrested were remanded in a week’s police custody by a court in Suri. “If I had not chopped my father’s fingers, I wouldn’t have been able to save him and other relatives,” Harichandra said as he was led to the court.

Subhasis Garain of the Paschim Banga Biggyan Mancha, a rationalists’ body, said it would launch a campaign in the village against superstition.