Man stabs his sister on suspicion of witchcraft

Jaipur: A man in Rajasthan's Ajmer city on Saturday stabbed his sister repeatedly on suspicion that she was conducting witchcraft on him, said police. She is struggling for her life.

The woman, Manni Devi, 30, was stabbed at least six times. Her brother Ajay Kumar has been arrested for the attack.

"The houses of Ajay and Manni Devi are in close vicinity in Dhola Bhata area of Ajmer town. They had disputes since Manni got married," said a police officer.

Ajay barged into her house on Saturday morning and repeatedly stabbed her with a knife in the presence of her daughter, the officer said.

Informed by the neighbours, Manni Devi's husband rushed home.

"A police team rounded up Ajay on her husband's complaint," said the officer.

He added that Ajay suspected his sister of being a witch and performing witchcraft on him. "He saw pieces of sliced lemons on his bike in the morning and jumped to the conclusion that they were there for witchcraft. Ajay has been charged with attempt to murder," said the officer.

The practice of branding women as witches and torturing them continues unabated in the remote rural areas of Rajasthan despite claims by the state government to have come up with a stringent law against it.