Over 1,500 people were killed across India on mere suspicion of witchcraft from 2010 to 2021.
In a chilling act of mob violence, five members of the same family — including three women and a 75-year-old grandmother — were brutally beaten to death by villagers in Bihar, India, after being accused of witchcraft.
Police say the attack was sparked by the death of a local boy. His father, convinced that “black magic” was behind it, blamed a neighboring family and led the deadly assault.
“After beating the victims to death, the perpetrators loaded the bodies onto a tractor and dumped them in a pond,” police reported.
The accused — all from the same Oraon tribal community as the victims — have confessed. Three have been arrested so far.
Witchcraft-related violence remains a grim reality in rural India, especially in isolated tribal areas. Despite awareness campaigns and laws aimed at ending such crimes, superstition still fuels deadly attacks.
Between 2010 and 2021, over 1,500 people — mostly women — were killed across India on mere suspicion of witchcraft, according to official data.
This gruesome case has once again highlighted how fear, ignorance, and deep-rooted beliefs can turn deadly — especially for the most vulnerable.
