Jharkhand's Witch-Hunting Crisis: 100% Rise in Killings, Despite Awareness Campaigns

Ranchi: Amid claims of an improvement in the situation Jharkhand remains one of the states where witch hunting and occult practices are maximum. The most recent case is that of the murder of three members of a family in Lohardaga on October 8 in the name of witch-hunting.

An NCRB report points out that not only have honour killings increased in Jharkhand, but the cases of harassment and murder in the name of witch-hunting have also risen significantly. Seventy-two cases of killings were registered across the country with Jharkhand accounting for the highest number of 22. This means that the state was at the top in this category of crime. The statistics also reveal that the killings in the name of witch-hunting in the state saw a 100% rise in comparison to 2022 when the figure stood at 11 behind Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh where the figure was 25 and 20 respectively.

Witch hunting is a phenomenon wherein individuals, especially women, are branded as ‘witches’ and subjected to brutal torture that includes beatings, stoning, blackening of the face, tonsuring, stripping and in many cases even murder. Anyone branded as a witch has to face social stigma, ostracism, violence and mental torture.

This practice is based on occult beliefs and superstition. The myth that witches can harm someone's body, mind or property through their supposed supernatural powers is deeply ingrained. This superstition dates back to ancient times when people associated natural disasters, illnesses , or sudden deaths with witchcraft.

Statistics state that between 2001 and 2023 a total of 660 people were murdered in Jharkhand in the name of witch-hunting and witchcraft which should be considered a shame for any society.

Between 2023 and 2025 till now, 24 people have been killed, as pointed out by the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Sources disclosed that despite continuous awareness campaigns, the number of people losing their lives on account of witch-hunting remains high.

Maximum number of witch-hunting cases have been reported from Garhwa between 2018 and 2023 but there has been no murder on this count. The number of cases for this period is 882. The reporting of witch-hunting cases is also high in Hazaribagh while the number of murders attributed to it is very low. There were 425 cases reported that included five murders between 2018 and 2023.

The situation was pretty same in Palamu where there were more than 350 cases reported that included 14 murders. In Giridih also more than 300 cases were reported with three murders.

However, the worst affected districts are Ranchi, Khunti, Chaibasa, Gumla, Latehar and Lohardaga where the cases registered are less but instances of killings are more.

Chaibasa tops the list with 58 cases registered between 2018 to 2023 which included 28 killings. The state capital of Ranchi is also in the red with 121 cases registered that included 17 killings.

Gumla also had 125 cases of witch-hunting reported with 16 killings while 33 cases were registered in Simdega of which there were eight killings.

Jharkhand IGP (Operations) Michael S Raj stated that the NCRB report is from 2023 and the situation in Jharkhand has improved rapidly since then. “An awareness campaign has been launched vigorously across the state and everyone of consequence has been involved in it,” he said.

He further said that districts where witch-hunting accusations are escalating to murder are being placed in the red zone and thorough investigations are being carried out in these cases with special emphasis on the motive behind the killings.

The districts placed in this red zone include Ranchi, Khunti, Chaibasa, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega and Latehar and a special awareness campaign is being planned here with the involvement of the CID and social organidations.