‘Black magic’ slur after land row

Ranchi: A 90-year-old man was attacked by his neighbours in Latehar district’s Balumath on Friday for allegedly practising black magic.
A group of six men beat up Dileshwar Yadav and four members of his family — sons Bijul (28) and Manoj (24), daughter Righani Devi and daughter-in-law Jasno Devi — with sticks and iron rods at his residence at Dhadha village in Balumath on Friday morning.The miscreants attacked them with knives before fleeing, police said.
Doctors at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, where the injured persons are being treated, said they had to perform surgery because the victims had multiple stab wounds.
Latehar SP Anup Birthare said FIRs have been lodged against Amalesh Yadav, Yadav’s cousin, and six others. However, all the seven accused are absconding.
Balumath OC Ajay Kumar said the trouble started two months ago when a woman died in a road accident.
The death of a buffalo a week ago angered the villagers who blamed Yadav for everything. However, the victims said the attack was fuelled by dispute over possession of a piece of land. “Amalesh wanted to grab one of our farming plots in Dhadha,” said Bijul, adding, “he intended to kill us.
But it’s for the villagers, who rushed to our house hearing the commotion, that we are alive today.”
Bijul said Amalesh had made up the sorcery story to frame his father. SP Birthare too said primary investigations suggested that black magic allegations were false.
“The situation in the village is being monitored. Awareness campaigns are being held witchcraft,” he added.