33 individuals, including 20 women, have been arrested in the village of Madhurjhol in India's Odisha state for killing a woman whose husband was suspected of practicing witchcraft, Indian media reported Friday.
The villagers reportedly attacked the 55-year-old victim because she had filed a police complaint at the Kabirsuryanagar police station against them for beating up her husband.
“The woman’s body had several assault marks, suggesting she was beaten to death by the villagers who were angry [at] her for approaching the [police],” Ganjam Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Saravana told reporters.
According to law enforcement, the villagers became suspicious after about 10 people died due to varying health issues.
Since 2014, around 400 persons have been killed on suspicion of witchcraft in Odisha, media reported.