Bhagalpur: A 25-year-old youth killed a middle-aged homemaker at Jaykhut village in the district on Sunday evening suspecting her to be a witch and practising black magic.

Asha Devi, 45, the wife of Shambhu Mandal, a resident of Jaykhut village under the jurisdiction of Goradih police station in Bhagalpur and located around 243km east of Patna, was killed by Ajay, a neighbour and also her relative. Asha was attacked with a digging bar (an iron rod with a sharp end used in digging soil) when she was returning from the market in public view.

Asha was accompanied by her younger daughter, Mamta, and her grandson. Later, Mamta, who appeared for her school final examination this year, narrated how Ajay was standing in a corner of the road near her house with a digging bar. "All of sudden, he attacked my mother. We started crying out for help but no one came forward. He hit my mother's head with the sharp edge, killing her immediately," she told the police.

Mamta alleged that Ajay's family accused Mamta of practising black magic. She further alleged that the incident was pre-planned, as not a single person came forward to save her mother from Ajay.

Dev Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Goradih police station, said Ajay worked as a daily wager in Delhi, came back to the village two days ago but after committing the crime, fled. "We found Ajay's house locked. His other family members also escaped from the village," the SHO said.

The SHO confirmed the accused and his family members frequently confronted Asha over her alleged witchcraft. Some villagers recalled that two years ago, Asha had complained to Goradih police after Ajay's family assaulted her. But the matter was settled on intervention of the panchayat.

Some villagers claimed that the families shared an old land dispute.

"We are investigating the exact reason behind the killing," the SHO said.

Sources in the village said Ajay and Diwakar Kumar, Asha's elder son, both work in Delhi and earlier they used to live together. Both the families are very poor and daily wages form their source of income. Asha had three sons and two daughters.