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“First they labelled my mother a 'witch', and then my sister a 'witch', and then they killed them both,” 57-year-old Sibi Khalkho recounted details of the horrific night in 2015.
Sibi is a resident of Kanjiya Maraitoli village situated merely 30 kilometres away from Ranchi, the state capital of Jharkhand, where on the night of 8 August 2015, five women, Jasinta, Madani, Titri, Rakiya, and Eitwariya, accused of witchcraft, were brutally hacked to death by a mob of relatives and neighbours.
In search of the 'Witches’ of Jharkhand, The Quint reached Kanjiya Maraitoli village to try and understand what happened that night: how five women from the same village became witches in the eyes of their village, why they were beaten by their relatives and neighbours, their clothes torn, and their heads crushed with stones.
'They Tore Her Clothes, Crushed Her Head'
Around 300 metres from Sibi’s home lives Usha Khalkho, daughter-in-law of Madani Khalkho, who was among the group of five women hacked to death on the fateful night.
Around 150 people gathered outside their homes, creating an atmosphere of terror. The mob descended upon their residence at midnight, breaking down the door, dragging Madani Khalkho outside, and subjecting her to a fatal assault.
"I went alone, my son was five months old then. I went alone and saw everything that happened. Three women had already been killed in the Akhada (assembly point). They had dragged my mother-in-law to the Akhada, where they tore her clothes and then crushed her head with a big stone,” Usha revealed.
Madani Khalkho’s son Karamdeo Khalkho recounted:
“I had returned from Ranchi that day. It was around 12 pm when the mob came. They broke the locks of the other room, where my parents were asleep and dragged my mother.”
'Never Thought Villagers Would Kill Her'
According to Karamdeo Khalkho, a boy named Bipin Khalkho had fallen ill weeks before the incident, and after his death, whispers of witchcraft circulated. The blame for the boy's demise was unjustly placed on these five women.
An inebriated mob of men and women harassed, thrashed, and ultimately killed Jasinta, Kalki (Rakiya), Madani, Etwariya, and Titri.
“She had good relations with everyone. Everyone respected her, some less some more but we never thought that the villagers would kill her, that too, for witchcraft. She did not know of it," Karmadeo said.
The Quint visited the homes of Rakiya and Titri, where Johan Oraon, son of Rakiya and brother of Titri, expressed his bewilderment at the sudden turn of events.
"We couldn't understand what happened. Everything was alright that day. I had gone to the fields, and when I returned, I saw people getting drunk. They also made most of the village youth drink. The drunken mob then mobilized to kill the women," Johan Oraon shared.
"We were sleeping. There was a sudden commotion – and we heard a lot of noise. The villagers then broke the doors and dragged my mother out first. They then went for my sister. They accused both of them of witchcraft and killed them," Sibi Khalkho, daughter of Madani Khalkho, recalled.
Killings Not Just Fueled By Superstition
The killings may not have been solely fueled by superstition; the women were vocal against alcohol consumption in the village, and there's more than just superstition behind it, Manju Khalkho, a villager, said.
"Jasinta was my aunt. Both Jasinta and Madani spoke freely. They would confront those who drank alcohol openly, and probably, that wasn't appreciated by a lot of men."
Manju Khalkho a young aspirant who wants to become a teacher, hesitantly told The Quint:
“All these women were vocal for the education. They always sided with children going to school, they advocated even for the girls to go to school and get educated. I remember many incidents when the parents of the students didn’t wish for them to continue studies but these women would intervene and persuade the parents to send their kids to study."
Ajay Jaiswal, Convener of ASHA NGO, highlighting the plight of women in Jharkhand, said: "Women who speak openly in their male-dominated society are targeted in the name of witchcraft."
"Superstition aside, women who speak openly in their male-dominated society are targeted in the name of witchcraft. In the aftermath of Kanjiya, we found that some of the women killed were active leaders. They were leading a movement against alcohol abuse and its rampant consumption," Jaiswal emphasised.
FIR Against 150, But Out On Bail Soon
After the killings, Jharkhand Police filed an FIR against 150 individuals, but they were later released on bail.
Johan Oraon, the son of Rakiya, recounted that when the police came to arrest the accused but they 'danced their way out' as if they had done ‘something remarkable.'
Sibi Khalkho, whether he remembers his mother and sister, said, "How would I not miss them? Even the animals love their mother and remember them, how wouldn't I?"
Karamdeo Khalkho on the other hand said: "I just don't fall asleep whenever I remember my mother. It all comes back... I get tense, and I can't sleep."
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