PATNA: A 65-year-old man was hacked to death by a group of four men on Sunday who accused him of practising black magic in a remote village in BiharтАЩs Shekhpura district, police said.
The villagers were led by Kajroo Manjhi of Gariban Tola village in Ariyari block who recently lost his three-year-old child. He blamed the victim, Ramdeo Manjhi alias Jataha Manjhi, for his loss.
The victimтАЩs two sons, who were with him at the time of the attack, said the four barged into their house at 11pm on Sunday and attacked his father. Ramdeo ManjhiтАЩs nephew Tulsi told the police that Kajroo was a suspicious man and suspected the involvement of his uncle in his sonтАЩs death.
Police said the attackers were drunk when they barged into RamdeoтАЩs house and attacked him with sharp-edged weapons.
Kasar police station SHO Lakshmi Kumari said: тАЬOn being informed by the deceasedтАЩs family we have registered a case and investigation is on to find out the real reason behind the crime. While the body has been sent for autopsy, we have detained one person for interrogationтАЭ.
Police said a team from the forensic science lab in Gaya has collected samples from the spot.
This is the second reported case of a person being killed in Bihar on suspicion of practising black magic. On June 16, a 65-year-old woman Lakiya Devi was beaten to death by residents of Malhi-Patti village in Arwal district on suspicion that she practised sorcery.
