Couple axed to death for "practising black magic"

A tribal couple were killed allegedly by their relatives on suspicion that their black magic caused the death of a teenaged girl in a village in Khunti district, police today said.
All the accused, including Vijay Munda who is nephew of the male victim Lalo Munda, were arrested during the day.
Superintendent of Police Ashwini Kumar Sinha said that Vijay's niece Anita (16), who was not keeping well for a few days, died while being taken to a hospital in Ranchi on Sunday.
They suspected that Lalo Munda and his wife Barso alias Kirso Munda Lalo and his wife Barso alias Kirso, residents of Kansilli Nayatoli under Karra police station area, did black magic on the girl which led to her death.

Vijay and two other relatives including a woman attacked the couple with dagger and axe last evening killing them on the spot, the SP said.
There had been a plan to drive the couple away from the village as they practised witchcraft, but Anita's death prompted the three to kill them, he said.