Mail News Service
Ranchi, July 8: In response to the horrific killing of five tribal members of a family in Bihar’s Purnia district—allegedly burned alive over accusations of witchcraft—the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee has dispatched a five-member fact-finding team to the site of the incident.
Rakesh Sinha, the state Congress media in-charge, informed that the team is being led by senior party leader and working president Bandhu Tirkey. The other members include Amulya Neeraj Khalkho, Josai Marandi, Raj Oraon and Somanath Munda. The team left for Purnia by road on Tuesday and will submit a report to the party leadership.
Before leaving, Bandhu Tirkey took to social media platform X, writing:
“The gruesome killing of five tribal members of a single family in Purnia, allegedly over witchcraft accusations, has shaken our entire community. Such barbarism, rooted in superstition, is not only a blot on humanity but also a direct assault on the dignity and safety of tribal communities.”
Tirkey demanded swift justice and accountability from Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, adding:
“We demand the immediate arrest and strictest punishment for all those involved. The government must ensure that such inhuman crimes are never repeated.”
According to reports, after assaulting the victims, the perpetrators doused them in petrol and set them ablaze. Their charred bodies were later thrown into a water-filled pond using a tractor—allegedly paid Rs 40,000 to dispose of the remains. The crime came to light when the youngest survivor, 14-year-old Sonu, escaped and informed his grandmother, leading to a police investigation led by SP Sweety Sahrawat.
CM Hemant Soren, Minister Irfan Ansari condemn Purnia atrocity, demand justice
Mail News Service
Ranchi, July 8: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed grave concern over the brutal killing of five tribals in Bihar’s Purnia district, calling it a deeply disturbing incident that demands swift justice. He urged Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to ensure the harshest punishment for the perpetrators involved in the heinous act.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari also strongly condemned the crime, calling it a “blot on humanity and a grave attack on tribal identity.”
“This act is not just an isolated incident of violence. It is an assault on the tribal community’s dignity, security and very existence,” said Dr. Ansari.
The minister blamed the BJP-led Bihar government for the deteriorating safety of tribals in the state.
“The tribal community in Bihar is under siege. Such incidents reflect the complete collapse of protection mechanisms for marginalized groups under the current regime,” he added.
Dr. Ansari has requested CM Hemant Soren to constitute a high-level delegation—proposing his own inclusion—to visit the affected area, assess the situation and amplify the voices of the survivors and tribal communities. He emphasized the need to mount pressure on both Bihar and the central government to ensure a fair investigation and exemplary punishment for the guilty.
“The Jharkhand government must treat this issue as a top priority and respond with urgency and compassion,” Dr. Ansari concluded.
