Man's fingers chopped off for practising witchcraft, son

All fingers of a 73-year-old man were allegedly chopped off by his son for practising withcraft in West Bengal's Birbhum district, police said Wednesday.

The incident took place at Radhakrishnapur village in Bolpur subdivision in the early hours of Tuesday and the man's elder son, who had allegedly committed the act has been arrested, the police said.

Police have arrested four others in connection with the incident.

The septuagenarian was rushed to a local hospital and then referred tot Burdwan Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, the police said.

No formal complaint was lodged with the police till Wednesday afternoon, Birbhum superintendent of police Kunal Agarwal said adding prima facie the man's son had committed the crime.

According to locals the man's son committed the crime under pressure by a kangaroo court, which was held in the village on Monday evening following complaints by a woman who had accused the victim of practising witchcraft.

In the past couple of months a number of villagers had fallen ill and the woman was among them.

The kangaroo court agreed with the woman that the man practised witchcraft as he and his family worshipped Goddess Kali in their home and decided to "punish" the man.

The man's son begged for sparing his father's life and the meeting pronounced that his fingers should be chopped so that he cannot worship any more.