Police arrest accused; victim’s death raises questions about superstition awareness
Key Points:
– Santosh Oraon, 54, killed in Kairo over witchcraft allegations
– Accused Ravi Shankar Minz previously jailed for another murder
– Incident sparks concern over persistence of superstitious killings
LOHARDAGA – A shocking case of murder over witchcraft allegations has emerged in the Naroli Chana Toli village of Kairo police station area.
The victim, identified as 54-year-old Santosh Oraon, was beaten to death by local resident Ravi Shankar Minz on Wednesday evening.
According to reports, the accused accused Santosh’s wife of practicing witchcraft (locally known as "Dain Bisahi") and attacked both the husband and wife.
Severe blows to Santosh’s chest and abdomen led to his death on the spot.
Kairo police arrived at the scene, recovered the body, and sent it to the Sadar Hospital for postmortem.
The accused, Ravi Shankar Minz, was arrested and is currently being interrogated.
Police revealed that Minz had previously served a five-year jail sentence for the murder of Santosh’s uncle, Hose Bhagat.
The incident has caused unrest in the region, highlighting the persistence of superstitious beliefs despite awareness campaigns.
Locals and officials question the effectiveness of the district administration’s expensive programs aimed at eradicating superstitions.
The victim’s son, Ranthu Oraon, and village watchman, Mithlesh Yadav, were among those who informed the police.
