From land grab plot to witchcraft, doubts galore over Purnia killings

An eerie silence prevails at Tetgama, located 15 km from district headquarters of Purnia and 340 km northeast of the state capital with people largely migrant labourers and daily wages earners dominated by tribal especially Oraon community on Tuesday morning, a day after the heart wrenching incident in which five members of a family were roasted alive after being hacked, allegedly on the suspicion of practising witchcraft.

- Aditya Nath Jha

Many residents are so scared that they have fled the village. Those who have stayed back, especially the women, the old and the infirm, are too scared to talk about the gory episode.

Some villagers, speaking in hushed tones, allege it was a premeditated murder orchestrated by land sharks who falsely accused the family of practising witchcraft to usurp their land.

“They locked us in a room, and snatched our mobile phones and we continued to hear their excruciating cries helplessly,” said Jitendra Oraon, the youngest brother of the deceased Babu Lal Oraon, as he narrated the ordeal to this reporter on Tuesday.

Babu Lal (50), his mother Kanto Devi (70), wife Sita Devi (45), son Manjit Kumar (25) and daughter-in-law-Rania Devi (22) were among those who were hacked and burnt alive by dousing diesel on dismembered bodies.

“Over 100 people carrying conventional weapons with them attacked the family and later they burnt them alive by pouring diesel which they brought in three containers,” Jitendra said, claiming it was a planned incident that lasted for over six hours from 10 pm (Sunday) to 4.am (Monday) and the villagers remained just onlookers and did nothing to protect us.” He alleged that it was a plot to capture their five bighas of land.

Kamni Devi, sister in law of the deceased Babu Lal Oraon said, “We never saw the family involved in practising witchcraft, they were killed for some other reasons still not known to me.”