A team of the block administration today visited Basudebpur village in Bhavuk gram panchayat under the Malda police station in Old Malda block, where many residents have left their homes after rumours spread that the village, dominated by tribal people, was “haunted.” The rumours spread after the village witnessed five deaths in a span of 15 days, while local people believe that some “supernatural power” was responsible for the deaths.

The administration team included the Chief Medical Officer of Health-II Amitabha Nandi, Joint BDO Bappaditya Biswas, Block Medical Officer of Health Souvik Das, Pradhan Lakkhi Hansda and ASHA workers, and they held counseling sessions for people who feared leaving their huts at nights.

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“The administration also arranged for picketing of the areas by civic volunteers so as to instill confidence among the villagers,” sources said.

“Many families had left the village, while those who stayed back shut themselves in their homes due to fear of ghosts. The villagers claimed that they heard mysterious sounds in the nights, while the five quick deaths from sickness made matters worse,” the sources added.

Panchayat officials said that only three of the total 30 families, were left in the village, including one that lost one of their members very recently.

“An exorcist in the village had told villagers that there would be more deaths in the village, so panic gripped the area,” the officials said.

The deceased have been identified as Singroy Kishku, 31, Marang Soren, 45, Dinesh Murmu, 35, Sumai Kishku, 30, and Amin Murdy, 40.

One member of a family, Tala Hembrom, said, “The five sudden deaths from fever and abdominal sickness made us believe that they were possessed, and the Mahan (exorcist) also confirmed the same.” The panchayat pradhan said that they have already sent the drinking water in the village for tests. “We have also tried to make the people understand that ghosts do not exist,” he said.

Dr Nandi said that they are looking into what caused the deaths. “We also talked to the villagers to free them from any kind of superstition,” he said.