200 men burn the witch
A large crowd of more than 200 people burned a woman alive in a village in the Indian state of Bihar last weekend, citing suspicions that she was a witch, local media said.
Rita Davey, 45, was attacked by a group of men on suspicion of being a witch.
The accusation came due to the death of a man with a chronic illness a month ago as she was blamed for an old feud that existed between the two families, according to the Hindustan Times.
The sick man's family reportedly summoned an "exorcist" from the neighboring state of Jharkhand last Saturday, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.
But when the exorcist failed to give them answers or improve the man's situation, the crowd became enraged and immediately headed to the home of victim Davy.
Police said angry mobsters broke into Devi's home and beat her before dousing her with petrol and setting her house on fire.
Devi, who belongs to a pariah sect in India, was charred to death and her remains were recovered for autopsy.
So far, at least 14 people have been arrested in connection with the murder, while 65 others have been identified.
Police said they are reviewing the videos to identify more suspects.
Authorities are also investigating possible lax police response.
According to Davey's family, who reported threats against her a month before the horrific incident.
"We are looking into the allegations," Police Chief Ashok Prasad told The Independent.
The police could have acted immediately after the local police station was notified of the threats."
Witch hunts are often reported in remote areas of Bihar, Jharkhand and other neighboring states.
About 2,100 such murders occurred across the country between 2001 and 2012, according to national records.
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