Five persons were arrested for allegedly killing two elderly women suspected of practising witchcraft in Bihar's Munger, police said on Friday. According to the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Munger, Gaurav Mangla, the incident was reported from Gopali Chak village under the jurisdiction of Ladaiya police station of the district on February 24. The women, who were beaten to death, were identified as Pramila Devi (65) and Kapurva Devi (70), Mangla said.
The police exhumed the bodies of the deceased from a nearby forest after receiving information about the killings, the SP said.
The police, based on the statements of the relatives of the deceased, lodged a suo motu FIR against nine persons, Mangla said.
"Five of the nine accused - Sadhu Manjhi, Muktar Manjhi, Ram Vilas Manjhi, Jivan Manjhi and Dharmesh Manjhi - have been arrested," the SP said.
"We are looking for the other accused persons," the SP added.