Ranchi: The Jharkhand high court on Thursday took suo moto cognizance of a TOI report on March 3 on the murder of five persons of a family, including a five-year-old boy, in Gumla and ordered the DGP, chief secretary and the social welfare secretary to furnish a report in the matter.
The court also asked the government to inform about the steps taken to create awareness against witchcraft and superstitious beliefs. Observing that the “state should wake up from its slumber”, a division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad directed the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority to send a team to Gumla and submit a report. The case will be heard next on March 18.
On February 23, five of a family — Nikodim Topno (60), Josfina Topno (55), Vincent Topno (35), Silvanti Topno (30) and Albin Topno (5) of Buruhatu Aamtoli village were hacked to death on a false blame that the family practices witchcraft. The investigation also revealed that eight, including Nikuddin’s nephew, connived with 70 others of the village to eliminate the Topno family after a few people and animals had died in the village in the last few months.
The killings had taken place after Mathura Topno, the village priest and healer, failed to save the deaths and was prodded to give names of the “evil”. Cornered, Mathura took random names and accused the Topno family of practicing witchcraft.
Meanwhile, eight of the accused have been arrested so far in the case while the entire village has been booked.