3 forced to consume human excreta over witchcraft suspicion

Three persons, including two women, were allegedly forced to consume human excreta in Jharkhand's Giridih town last week on the suspicion of practising witchcraft, police said on Tuesday. Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident at Jhanjhri Mohalla area last Tuesday. The arrests came after a video of the incident went viral on social media on Monday.

The accused suspected that the victims used to perform rituals that made people fall ill in the area, the police said. Nagar police station in-charge Adikant Mahto said Veera Das (50), Hari Das (32), Jharia Devi (30) and Shanti Devi (48) were arrested, while two others were absconding.

The incident comes days after four elderly tribals, including two women, were lynched in Gumla district on the suspicion that they were practising witchcraft.