Muzaffarpur, India: The Muzaffarpur police have arrested 9 people for thrashing and shaving the heads of 3 women as the locals believed they were practicing witchcraft.

The incident happened at Dakrama village, which is under the jurisdictions of the Hathauri Police Station, on Monday.

The 3 women were also forced to abandon their houses and move somewhere else.

Jayant Kant, the SSP of Muzaffapur, said that 9 people have been arrested and raids are on to nab 6 other men.

Around 100 unidentified people have been made accused as they watched people shave the women’s heads, beat them, and strip them down.

Shyam Sahni, the main accused, has also been arrested.

A video showing 3 women, who are believed to be 45, 50, and 55 years old, was seen being thrashed by a mob.

The women were also paraded half-naked and were forced to eat human waste in full public view.

Jayant Kant, the SSP of Muzaffapur, said in a statement:

The incident took place around 6pm on Monday and the police arrested nine of the 15 named accused on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The barber, who had tonsured the heads of the women, is absconding.

The head of the village or other local authorities did not report the incident to the police.

Everyone at the village broke the social-distancing measures of the country.

Jitendra Deo Deepak, the SHO (Station House Officer) of the Hathauri Police Station, said that the mob forced the women to eat human waste and stripped them naked before shaving their heads.

Talking about the video and the case, he said:

The police lodged the complaint on the basis of the video, which has been sent to the regional forensic science laboratory at Muzaffarpur.

Ravindra Baitha, the head of the village, said:

I was not present in my house at the time of the incident. I came to know about the incident when I returned home around 2am.

An official investigation has been launched, said the police.