Ranchi, Feb 16 (IANS): A mother and her daughter were tonsured on the outskirts of Ranchi in Jharkhand on the charge of practicing witchcraft, the police said.

According to the police, more than a dozen villagers caught the mother (65) and her daughter (35) and tonsured their heads on Thursday night. After the incident, the victims lodged a complaint with the police on Friday.

The victims alleged that they were dragged near a river where their heads were shaved. They were later forced to wear white saris and drink septic tank water. The villagers alleged that the duo was practicing black magic.

The police have launched an operation to arrest the people involved in the incident.

After the death of a woman who was a close relative of the victims, the villagers put the blame on the duo. However, the woman had died due to illness.

More than 700 women have been killed after being branded as witches in Jharkhand in the last 15 years.