Five members of a family, including a Chhattisgarh police head constable, were beaten to death allegedly on suspicion of practising witchcraft in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Sunday (September 15, 2024), police said.According to the police, the victims, including three women, are residents of Etkal village in the Konta area of the Southern district. They were attacked by a bunch of fellow villagers who suspected that their witchcraft was responsible for a few deaths in the village over the past fortnight. So far, five men, also from the same village, have been arrested for the murders but Superintendent of Police (Sukma) Kiran Chavan said there were around 15 people who attacked the victims with batons and other weapons. The police identified the deceased as Mausam Kanna (60), his wife Mausam Biri (age not specified), their son Mausam Buchcha (34), who is a Chhattisgarh police personnel, Mausam Buchcha’s wife Mausam Arjo (32), and another woman Karka Lachchi (43).Mr. Chavan said that after a couple of children died in the village, the locals consulted their Baiga or the local priest who pointed at the Mausam Buchcha’s family’s witchcraft being purportedly responsible. “On Sunday, a meeting was held which was attended by nearly 25 people. Once the victims, including the head constable in plainclothes reached there, an argument ensued between them and the other villagers, who held them responsible for the deaths. The matter heated up and things soon turned violent with nearly 15 among the crowd attacking them fatally,” said Mr. Chavan. According to the police, the accused who have been held are Savlam Rajesh (21), Savlam Hidma, Karam Satyam (35), Kunjam Mukesh (28) and Podiam Enka. Further investigation is underway, as senior police officers reached the spot soon after the incident. The incident comes days after a similar case was reported in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district. In that case, four members of a family, including an 11-month-old boy, were allegedly killed on the suspicion that a member of their family practised black magic.  Published – September 15, 2024 09:20 pm IST