KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, June 22: “The complaints related to torture being meted out to innocent elderly women in the name of witches are not being taken seriously by the Seraikela-Kharsawan police, ” alleged Padmashri Chhutni Mahato.
Chhutni Mahato who is president of Witch Atrocities Prevention Center, Seraikela made the allegation by holding a press conference after about half-a-dozen women approached her with the complaints of police inaction observed in the cases of torture meted out to them by the villagers in Seraikela sub-division of the district recently.
At the press conference, those who had fallen victim to villagers’ wrath in suspicion of witches also spoke about their predicament and the alleged lukewarm response from the police.
While one of the victims hailing from the Seraikela thana area narrated how a section of villagers is still at large despite an FIR being lodged with the Seraikela thana after she was humiliated and assaulted last month, another victim hailing from Gamharia thana area deplored how did the police allowed a couple of accused go home after detaining them in the lock-up for just 24 hours.
Padmashri Chhutni Mahato said Witch Prevention Act has been made to stop the atrocities against women, especially elderly women in the name of witches.
“Poor and helpless women, especially widows are prone to falling victim to this superstitious act which is committed more often to do away with the victims’ landed property. The government has brought in laws to punish the people who tend to indulge in such crimes. But if the police concerned fail to safeguard innocent elderly women by arresting the perpetrators, then nothing could be more unfortunate, ” observed Padmashri Mahato.
The Seraikela thana OC, Nitish Kumar, when contacted claimed the accused in a witch-torturing case registered recently are absconding.
Moreover, the Gamharia thana OC, Mamta Kumari pointed out that she had nabbed some people on getting a complaint of witch-torture, but the allegation was found untrue during the investigation.
