The Price of Ignorance Why a Jharkhand Village Turned into a Mob of Killers:

In a harrowing reminder that ancient superstitions still haunt the modern world, the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand witnessed a barbaric act of violence on the night of February 17, 2026. In the quiet village of Kalaiya, under the Kumardungi police station area, a 32-year-old woman and her innocent 2-month-old infant were doused in petrol and burnt alive on the mere suspicion of practicing witchcraft (Dayan Pratha).

The Incident: A Mob at the Door

According to the heart-wrenching testimony of the survivor, Kolhan Sinku (the victim's husband), a group of about a dozen villagers—including his own nephew, Rashika Birua—arrived at their home late at night.

The Accusation: The mob accused his wife, Jyoti Sinku, of being a witch and being responsible for various ailments and misfortunes in the village.

The Refusal of Justice: Kolhan pleaded with the mob to wait until morning so a village Panchayat could be held to discuss the matter fairly. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

The Execution: The attackers poured a gallon of petrol over Jyoti and her baby and ignited it. Kolhan managed to flee the house with his clothes on fire, stripping them off as he ran into the darkness to save his own life.

Police Action and Arrests

The Kumardungi police reached the spot early Wednesday morning, February 18, 2026, after Kolhan reached the station to report the atrocity.

The Scene: Police recovered the charred remains of the mother and her baby from the courtyard of their home.

Arrests: As of Wednesday afternoon, four individuals have been arrested in connection with the double murder. Police confirmed that around 12 people from the same extended family and neighborhood were involved in the crime.

Self-Surrender: Some reports suggest several suspects surrendered at the station, openly admitting to the act because they believed they were "cleansing" the village of a witch.

Jharkhand’s Ongoing Battle with Witch-Hunting

Despite the state's Garima Project—an initiative aimed at eradicating witch-hunting and rehabilitating victims—superstition remains a deadly social plague in Jharkhand’s tribal belts.

Structural Oppression: Experts point out that "witch-branding" is often used as a tool for land grabbing, settling personal scores, or shifting blame for poor healthcare facilities in rural areas.

Staggering Statistics: Jharkhand continues to lead India in witchcraft-related killings. Between 2014 and 2024, hundreds of women have been lynched or tortured under these false pretenses.

This latest tragedy in West Singhbhum has left the local community in a state of shock and terror. For a 2-month-old child to be a victim of a "witch-hunt" underscores a deep-seated crisis of education and empathy that legal measures alone have yet to solve.