Witch-hunts are still occurring in Nepal in the twenty-first century, and the persecution of marginalised individuals of the community, especially women, still persists. Witchcraft is believed to be the exercise of supernatural powers by witches (). Although Nepal does not have a recorded history of systematic witch-hunts, belief in the supernatural, magic, and humans capable of exploiting both to do good or harm is pervasive. In many instances, witch-hunts are simply tribal scapegoating measures carried out to serve ulterior motives, such as getting revenge or winning property disputes. The victims are usually poor elderly women, free-spirited young women, widows, women of lower castes, or any possible combination of the above. The perpetrators are usually neighbours or residents of the same village, and occasionally family or close relatives, usually armed with accusations from shamans or witch-doctors. Politicians, teachers, police officers, and other respected members of the community have also been implicated in various incidents. Execution may be carried out by burning alive. Many victims succumb to their injuries from torture and assault. Non-murderous witch-hunts usually include beating and feeding of excrement, as it is believed that witches must follow a strict dietary regimen of purity to retain their magical powers. Overview Witchcraft may be blamed in Nepali societies for material loss, sickness of cattle, and other problems, in addition to mental and physical illnesses in humans. It is also believed that witches can give deadly or chronic diseases by means of food or drinks. As such, suspected witches are completely marginalised from the community even if they have received no public accusations or violence. Facial hair or baldness in women, stooped posture, cantankerousness, garrulousness, red or yellow eyes, infertility, and talking to oneself are some of the characteristics that can get a person suspected or accused of witchcraft. Mob violence (including killing) based on accusations of witchcraft, sometimes sanctioned by a committee of village elders, is prevalent. The accused may be paraded naked, with their faces blackened with soot or battery powder, and a garland of shoes around their neck, made to feed on excrement, shaved, beaten, tortured, and banished from the village. The accused may be made to put their hand on red-hot iron and inhale fumes from burning chillies. The most vulnerable group are the widows who may be accused of killing their own husbands using witchcraft. Such an accusation against a widow is almost always used as a