22 awarded life imprisonment for burning to death three people in Lohardaga

Lohardaga: A local court in this district awarded life imprisonment to 22 accused who were involved in murdering of three people by setting them on fire over suspicion of an alleged practice of witchcraft. The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (first) Gopal Pandey awarded life imprisonment to the accused in the case. The court on August 2 had held all of them guilty and had subsequently fixed August 8 as the date for announcing the quantum of sentencing.

In the incident which had taken place at Chipo Thekatoli village under Kairo Police Station area on April 17, 2016 three members of a family were burnt to death as the villagers suspected them of practicing witchcraft. The deceased Govardhan Bhagat was accused by the villagers of practicing witchcraft and on the night of the incident, the villagers surrounded the house and set the house on fire while the family members were locked inside the house. Later in the night police was alerted about the incident following which the than SP of Lohardaga Karthik S reached on the spot and showed exemplary courage as he himself had jumped into the fire and saved the son of Goverdhan Bhagat.

The three who lost their lives in the incident included Goverdhan Bhagat (60), Mado Bhagatain (55) and Sukhmania Bhagatain (30). An FIR, in this case, was registered at Kairo Police Station bearing number 9/16 against 24 named and 500 unnamed accused.