5 Get Death Penalty For Killing Jharkhand Family Over Black Magic Suspicion

A local court on Wednesday awarded capital punishment to five persons in a case of triple murder that took place over a year ago due to suspicions that they were involved in witchcraft.

The principal district and session Judge Vishwanath Shukla convicted the five and sentenced them to death for slitting the throats of a person named Salim Dhanga, his wife Belangi and their daughter Rahil at Podongair village on November 8, 2021.

The village is in Bandgaon police station limits in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.

The court held the five - Markas Dahanga, Iliyas Dahanga, Kemba Dahanga, Daud Dahanga and Iliyas Dahanga alias Banka Banku guilty of killing the three victims and burying their bodies in the banks of Karo river to conceal evidence.

Few days before the incident Markas Dahanga had lost his daughter to an illness. His friends, however, convinced him that the girl had died due to the black magic practiced by his neighbour Salim Dhanga and his family. Markas then along with his accomplices killed the three in their house and buried the bodies, district superintendent of police Ashutosh Shekhar said.

The court also slapped a penalty of Rs 1 lakh on the convicted persons.

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