Kailali police on Thursday made public six persons involved in witchcraft torture incident that took place at Devkaliya village in Ghodaghodi Municipality-5 on March 8.

The accused Ram Bahadur Chaudhary, a self-proclaimed shaman; two of his aides, Kismati Chaudhary and Smarika Chaudhary; Bed Prasad Chaudhary; Chankala Chaudhary; and Sitarani Chaudhary were paraded before the media at the District Police Office in Dhangadhi.

Superintendent of Police Binod Ghimire said the accused have admitted to torturing the 18-year-old former Kamlari (indentured girl child labourer) accusing her of practicing witchcraft. The District Court has remanded the suspects to custody for investigation.

Police are also searching for other suspects involved in the incident. The district police also made public four cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal whose involvements have been suspected in an attack against Ghodaghodi Mayor Mamata Prasad Chaudhary. Police listed their names as Kama Chhetri, Bharat Shah, Purna Prasad Khanal and Hridaya Raj Bogati.

Mayor Mamata Prasad, who had come under fire for allegedly protecting the perpetrators of the witchcraft torture case, was shot at and slashed with a khukuri at his home on Monday evening. He has been admitted to a hospital in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, the government team, led by Radhika Aryal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children, that had arrived to inquire about the incident  has returned to Kathmandu after meeting with the victim, her family members, villagers, police and other local stakeholders.