Women beaten to death over witchcraft

Ranchi, Aug 7 (IANS) Two women were beaten to death in Jharkhand's Palamau district for allegedly practising black magic, police said on Sunday.

The victims were identified as Basanti Devi, 41, and Munwa Devi, 36, residents of Tola Sahiyara of Badepur village. Villagers who killed them dumped their bodies in Son river, police said.

The incident took place on Saturday night but police came to know about it on Sunday. More than 1,000 women have been killed in Jharkhand on charges of witchcraft.