Two women tonsured by locals for `practising witchcraft` in UP

Sonbhadra (UP): A 70-year-old woman and her widow daughter were tonsured by some locals who branded them as witches after two kids died of fever last week.

The father of the children, Badal and his two associates shaved off the heads of his neighbour Itwariya and her widow daughter Shyama, 40, on Saturday night, branding them as witches and holding them responsible for his problems, police said today.

Badal, resident of Renukoot area under Pipri police station, took the help of Vinod and Ajay in the crime after being driven by superstition, police said, adding that all the three have been arrested on Itwariya's complaint.

Badal's son Pritam (one) and daughter Archana (4) had died last week and his wife was also suffering from fever.