5 of family murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft, bodies burnt in Bihar’s Purnea

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murders and a manhunt launched to nab the other accused, police said.

Purnea: Five members of a family were allegedly killed and their bodies burnt on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Bihar’s Purnea district, police said on Monday.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murders and a manhunt launched to nab the other accused, they said.

Police are trying to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that five members of a family in Tetma village were first murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft. It appears that the accused then burnt their bodies in a bush. The incident took place on Sunday night,” DIG (Purnea) Pramod Kumar Mandal told PTI.

The accused are suspected to belong to the same family, Mandal said.

Senior officials are at the spot, besides forensic experts and a dog squad to assist the investigators, he said.