Sahibganj man brands woman ‘witch’, kills her

Dumka: A man beheaded a woman in Menhdipur village of Sahibganj district, accusing her of practising witchcraft and holding her responsible for the death of his 25-year-old son Swadhin Tudu. The accused, Shakal Tudu (58), surrendered at Radhanagar police station of the district with the severed head of the woman.
The incident happened on Tuesday night. The victim, identified as 57-year-old Maklu Choude hailing from the same village as the accused, was decapitated with a sharp weapon while she was sleeping, along with her three children, in her house.
In his statement before the police, the accused confessed to committing the crime and told cops that he broke into the house of the victim and killed her as she caused the death of his son three days ago. Tudu said he had vowed not to perform the last rites of his son before taking revenge on the woman “responsible” for the death. He also kept the body of his son at his house for the last three days.
Rajmahal SDPO Arvind Kumar Singh said, “The son of the accused was suffering from some ailment and died three days back but Tudu believed that Choude cast a black magic spell that caused his death.” Singh added that the accused was sent to judicial custody on Wednesday after producing him before a local court.
Later, the partially decomposed body of Swadhin Tudu and that of Choude were sent for post mortem.