Akalia Devi Musahrin, 55, a former female ward member of Katarniya Municipality-9, has alleged that she was subjected to inhuman treatment, including being forced to consume an “impure mixture,” after being accused of witchcraft.
According to the victim, the incident took place on the evening of May 2, at the house of neighbor Pukar Majhi during a wedding ceremony. After a 10-year-old boy, Samir Majhi, among the wedding party guests who had come from Parsa district, vomited, Akalia Devi was accused of practicing witchcraft. Following this accusation, locals Pukar Majhi, 35, Rajendra Majhi, 40, Laxmi Majhi, 38, Shankar Majhi, 32, Surendra Thakur, 45, and Gauri Shah, 30, allegedly mixed an impure substance in a beer bottle and forcibly made her drink it, the victim stated.
The victim’s daughter, Sumila Devi Musahrin, 30, said that the accused forcibly made her mother drink the mixture after labeling her a “witch.” She further stated that when she protested against the mistreatment of her mother, she was also beaten by the accused.
Following the incident, a police team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Mohan Ale Magar from the Area Police Office Katarniya rescued Akalia Devi, who was found unconscious, and sent her to the Primary Health Center Katariya for treatment. Police stated that after treatment, the victim’s condition is now normal.
DSP Shankar Acharya of the Area Police Office Garuda informed that when the police team went to arrest the accused, there was an attempted attack on the police, and the accused has since fled. A search operation is currently underway to apprehend them.