GODDA, JHARKHAND — In a chilling incident reflecting the persistent shadow of superstition, a tribal couple and their minor son were allegedly hacked to death by their own relatives in Godda district. The attack took place late Monday night at Dang Tola, under the jurisdiction of the Deodanr police station, with authorities recovering the bodies on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
According to Godda Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ashok Ravidas, the motive behind the triple murder appears to be the deep-seated suspicion that the family was practicing witchcraft.
Police Action and Arrests
“The victims were killed over suspicion of practicing witchcraft. We have arrested three persons in this connection so far,” SDPO Ravidas told PTI. He added that the suspects confessed during initial interrogation, admitting their belief that the victims’ alleged occult practices were the reason behind the attack.
Key details from the investigation:
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The Victims: A tribal couple and their young son.
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The Accused: Close relatives of the victims.
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The Weapon: Police have recovered an axe believed to have been used in the killings.
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Current Status: The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and the three arrested individuals remain in custody as the investigation expands.
A Persistent Social Menace
Jharkhand has long struggled with “witch-hunting” (locally known as Dayan Pratha), despite strict laws like the Prevention of Witch (Daain) Practices Act. Such incidents often stem from personal vendettas or health crises within a community that are wrongly attributed to “black magic.”
Local activists have called for more than just police intervention, urging the state government to intensify awareness campaigns in remote tribal belts like Godda to dismantle the superstitious beliefs that lead to such extreme violence.
