India, April 11 -- An elderly tribal woman was beaten to death on suspicions of practicing witchcraft in a remote hilly village under Nauhatta police station area of Rohtas district on Thursday evening.

Raju Oraon, son of deceased Kismatiya Devi (60), alleged that the eight-year-old son of his neighbour Upendra Oraon died suddenly due to some illness on Thursday. His grandfather Vishnudev Oraon and family members had then branded Kismatiya Devi a witch and accused her of killing the boy.

They reached her house with the boy's body and attacked her with sharp weapons till the woman died on the spot.

The village, which is 50 km away from the Nauhatta police station and 70km south of Sasaram, is situated in Maoist affected forests, the pol...