BBC1 and India Today2 report that a woman and her infant, targeted last week in India over witchcraft allegations, were victims of collective violence in their village.
In the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, a 32-year-old woman and her infant child, who were the targets of accusations of witchcraft, tragically lost their lives in an attack by a group of villagers. According to police and hospital staff, the incident occurred in a remote tribal village near Chaibasa. The woman’s husband, 40-year-old Kolhan Sinku, survived the attack with severe burns.
Authorities state that the incident occurred on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, around 9:00 PM, and that the attack was entirely based on superstition. Initial findings suggest that Jyoti Sinku was held responsible for the recent death of a villager, triggering accusations of witchcraft and the attempted lynching.
Image Credit: Arun Ganesh (Wikimedia) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The deceased was accused of practicing black magic
According to police records, Kolhan Sinku was sleeping at home on the night of the incident. Also present at home were his second wife, Jyoti Sinku, Jyoti’s two-month-old baby, Kolhan’s first wife from a previous marriage, Jani Sinku, and the couple’s two-year-old child.
According to eyewitnesses, late at night, a man identified as a relative of Kolhan Sinku called out from outside the house, summoning the family. When the family went out into the courtyard, they were met by a crowd of about ten people. Witness statements clearly indicate that the crowd included men, women, and children. The crowd accused Jyoti Sinku of being a witch, holding her responsible for a number of illnesses and deaths in the village.
According to Kolhan Sinku’s statement, villagers claimed that Jyoti had caused a person to fall ill and die through black magic. The deceased was identified as a relative of Kolhan Sinku who lived in the same village and had been ill for a long time.
That night, Kolhan Sinku tried to calm the crowd, suggesting that the issue be brought before the village council the following morning. According to officials, this proposal was rejected by the crowd. The tension quickly spiraled out of control. According to the police investigation, one of the individuals in the group poured a flammable substance on Kolhan Sinku, his wife Jyoti, and the baby she was holding, and then set them on fire.
It was reported that Jyoti Sinku did not let go of her baby during the incident, and both of them were engulfed in flames. Tragically, the woman and her baby died at the scene. Kolhan, however, managed to escape despite suffering severe burns on various parts of his body.
Kolhan, injured, fled the scene and initially tried to go to the nearest police station. However, he found it closed. He then took off his burning clothes and sought refuge at a relative’s house. The next morning, he returned to the police station and reported the incident to the authorities.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Jyoti and her two-month-old baby in the courtyard of the house. The bodies were taken to the morgue for examination. Kolhan was taken to the state hospital in Kumardungi for treatment.
Four people have been detained
Police officials announced that four people have been detained in connection with the incident. The detained suspects are said to be related to Kolhan’s family. Further arrests are also reportedly imminent.
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau, more than 2,500 people were killed in India between 2000 and 2016 on charges of witchcraft. The majority of these cases involved women. Human rights advocates emphasize that these attacks are particularly concentrated in poor, isolated tribal communities lacking access to healthcare.
Police officials announced that awareness programs against superstition would be organized in rural areas following the incident. They also warned that violent incidents, described as witch hunts, would continue unless access to basic healthcare services was improved.
- Alam, M. S. (2026, February 20). Jharkhand: Mother and infant burnt to death over witchcraft allegations. BBC News. Retrieved February 27, 2026, from https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98q93gdy3do[↩]
- Dutta, S. (2026, February 20). Labelled a witch, woman with her 2‑month‑old son in arms, set on fire; both die. India Today. Retrieved February 27, 2026, from https://www.indiatoday.in/india/jharkhand/story/jharkhand-chaibasa-woman-two-month-old-infant-baby-held-in-arms-burnt-to-death-set-on-fire-mob-villagers-husband-escapes-suspicion-witch-2871763-2026-02-20[↩]
