Key Points
Kiran Devi was beaten to death in Bihar’s Nawada district after neighbours blamed her for a child’s illness despite a medical diagnosis.
She was killed under suspicions of practicing 'black magic'. Two of her relatives were also injured in the attack.
Four neighbours and family members of the child – Mukesh Choudhary, Mahendra Choudhary, Natru Choudhary and Shobha Devi – have been named in the FIR.
A 35-year-old woman was lynched in Bihar’s Nawada district after being accused of practising witchcraft, in an incident that has once again drawn attention to the persistence of superstition-driven violence in the region. The victim, Kiran Devi, was beaten to death on 9 January 2026, in Rajauli, near the Jharkhand border.
Reports state that the assault was triggered by the illness of a child in a neighbouring family. Despite doctors diagnosing the child with a brain-related medical condition, rumours spread in the locality that the illness was caused by “black magic” allegedly practised by Kiran Devi.
Family members said a group of neighbours attacked her with sticks, bricks and iron rods after branding her a witch. Two other women from her family were also assaulted when they tried to intervene.
All three injured women were initially taken to a sub-divisional hospital. Due to the severity of their injuries and heavy blood loss, doctors referred them to the district Sadar hospital. Kiran Devi, however, succumbed to her injuries en route. The two other women remain under treatment.
Rekha Devi, the victim’s sister-in-law, told the police that the violence followed the illness of a child from the family of Mukesh Choudhary, a neighbour. She said that although the child had been taken to hospital and diagnosed with a medical condition, accusations of witchcraft against Kiran Devi continued to circulate.
Police officials confirmed that tensions already existed between the two families before the incident. Rajauli Station House Officer (SHO) Ranjit Kumar said that three suspects had been detained for questioning and that a forensic team had been sent to the village to collect evidence.
“The body will be handed over to the family after the post-mortem examination,” Kumar said. Four accused – Mukesh Choudhary, Mahendra Choudhary, Natru Choudhary and Shobha Devi – have been named in the FIR. Kiran Devi is survived by two sons and two daughters.
The killing has renewed calls from civil society groups and activists for stronger action against superstition-driven violence and for greater awareness campaigns in rural areas, where such beliefs continue to lead to fatal consequences – Bihar itself saw a similar incident in August 2025, where a couple was attacked under similar allegations in the Hisua area. The husband was killed and an attempt was allegedly made to burn the wife alive.
[DS]
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