A Bihar woman blamed for the death of an infant allegedly due to her witchcraft was made to carry the dead body and then beaten and stripped when she failed to bring it alive, eyewitnesses said.
The incident occurred in Lalpur village of Nawada district.
Thirty-year-old Begmatiya Devi, who was deserted by her husband and lives with her parents, was locked up in a room and the dead body of the child was placed on her lap.
Villagers demanded she bring the infant back to life and, when she said she could not do so, she was stripped and beaten, eyewitnesses said.
"When she protested she was not responsible for the child's death and did not know the ABC of witchcraft, the villagers stripped her and beat her up," witnesses added.
A police complaint in this connection is yet to be lodged, villagers said.