A mob in Jharkhand allegedly lynched a woman on Saturday on suspicion of her involvement in chopping off a local girl’s braid, the second such death this month because of a mass hysteria that has gripped north India. They pelted stones at the woman, said to be in her late 40s, and others on suspicion that they were involved in witchcraft. Earlier this month, a 60-year old Dalit woman was allegedly lynched in Agra after villagers thought she was out to cut the hair of sleeping women. This came after hundreds of reports of women’s hair being mysteriously chopped off in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since June. Some claimed they found portions of their hair chopped off, and others reported falling unconscious with fear.

Source: Hindustan Times August 19, 2017 10:18 UTC