TETGAMA (PURNIA), July 9 -- An eerie silence prevails at Tetgama, located 15 km from district headquarters of Purnia and 340 km north-east of the state capital with people largely migrant labourers and daily wages earners dominated by tribal especially Oraon community on Tuesday morning, a day after the heart wrenching incident in which five members of a family were roasted alive after being hacked, allegedly on the suspicion of practising witchcraft. Many residents are so scared that they have fled the village. Those who have stayed back, especially the women, the old and the infirm, are too scared to talk about the gory episode. Some villagers, speaking in hushed tones, allege it was a premeditated murder orchestrated by land sharks who falsely accused the family of practising witchcraft to usurp their land. "They locked us in a room, and snatched our mobile phones and we continued to hear their excruciating cries helplessly," said Jitendra Oraon, the youngest brother of the deceased Babu Lal Oraon, as he narrated the ordeal to this reporter on Tuesday. Babu Lal (50), his mother Kanto Devi (70), wife Sita Devi (45), son Manjit Kumar (25) and daughter-in-law-Rania Devi (22) were among those who were hacked and burnt alive by dousing diesel on dismembered bodies. "Over 100 people carrying conventional weapons with them attacked the family and later they burnt them alive by pouring diesel which they brought in three containers," Jitendra said, claiming, "It was a planned incident that lasted for over six hours from 10 pm (Sunday) to 4 am (Monday) and the villagers remained just onlookers and did nothing to protect us." He alleged that it was a plot to capture their five bighas of land. Kamni Devi, sister in law of the deceased Babu Lal Oraon said, "We never saw the family involved in practising witchcraft, they were killed for some other reasons still not known to me." Arjun Oraon, the brother of deceased Babu Lal Oraon alleged, "Nakul Oraon (45), the prime accused is a land broker and the tractor which was used to dispose of the burnt bodies three km away belongs to his friend Mohammad Sanaul." Nero Devi, a relative of the deceased family whom HT met claimed, "We never saw the family practising witchcraft, it was something different and the truth will come out one day." The police have already arrested both Nakul Oraon and Mohammad Sanaul and seized the tractor. The perpetrators, a villager identified as Doma Oraon claimed, chose the day when police administration was badly engaged in managing the peaceful Muharram procession. "They committed crime without any sign of fear," he alleged and demanded a thorough investigation to expose the dirty game being played by the land brokers in the area. Police on Monday said, "Prima facie, the horrific incident was committed in the superstition triggered after the death of a boy in the family of Ramdev Oraon near victims' house." SIT formed "Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the incident from all possible angles besides an FIR has been lodged against 23 named and over 150 unidentified persons at Muffasil police station," said superintendent of police (SP) Sweety Sahrawat through a press release. "So far three accused including prime accused have been arrested and further raids are being carried out to arrest the remaining accused," added the SP. The two sons of the deceased Lalit Kumar and Sonu Kumar are in the protection of police while police have detained eldest brother Jagdish Oraon for interrogation. Divisional commissioner (Purnia division) Rajesh Kumar who reached the village Tuesday morning expressed surprise over the functioning of local administration. "Everything happened and the panchayat administration remained totally unaware about it," he said and asked to take steps against the officials. Deceased family Those who were hacked and burnt alive were identified as Babu Lal Oraon (50), his mother Kanto Devi (70), wife Sita Devi (45), son Manjit Kumar (25) and daughter in law Rania Devi (22). Jagdish Oraon, Khub Lal Oraon, Arjun Oraon and Jitendra Oraon are the brothers of the deceased Babu Lal Oraon and they altogether have over five bighas (100 katthas) of agricultural land besides their homestead land on which they have their both pucca and thatched houses with proper toilets and electricity. The deceased Babu Lal Oraon had four sons, one of them Manjit Oraon was hacked and burnt to death. Of the three survivors, Sanjit Oraon is a migrant labourer and is in Punjab while two others Lalit Oraon and Sonu escaped luckily. Land sharks eyeing on land in Tetgama village The village about 15- km from district headquarters is a well connected with metalled road which connects it with three-km away Purnia-Katihar National Highway and six Kms from Belauri town falling under the jurisdiction of Purnia Municipal Corporation. "Ever since Purnia -Katihar NH got built the price of land in the area rose unexpectedly and the influx of land sharks in the area has suddenly risen," a local without disclosing his identity told HT and claimed, "Such incidents will continue in coming days and they have started playing dirty games eyeing on poor people's land." The Tetgama hamlet where the incident took place consists of 21 families with about 150 people falling under Rajiganj panchayat and Muffasil police station is three-km and block headquarters (Purnia Easy block) ten- km away. The villagers here are mostly daily waged earners and migrant workers. There is a primary government school just half a kilometer away but sadly their children do not go to this school. Land broker Nakul Oraon's house Nakul Oraon has a well furnished pucca house with almost all facilities. "He has almost everything in his house from sofa-set to a washing machine in his house. Leaders as well as police officials and local administration are on good terms with Nakul and he does what he wants," a villager told HT....