A court in Jharkhand's Gumla district sentenced 19 women to life imprisonment in a nine-year-old witchcraft-related murder case.
The court of District and Session Judge-I Durgesh Chandra Awasthy on Wednesday also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on each of the 19 women for beating Berjania Indwar and Ignesia Indwar to death for practicing witchcraft on June 11, 2013.
The convicted women had summoned a meeting in Karaundajor village under Bharno police station following the death of a villager and held that alleged black magic being practiced by the victim duo was responsible for the death and beat the two women to death.
A day after the incident, the daughter of one of the victims registered an FIR against the 19 women.
