Villagers burn couple alive in Assam over suspicion of witchcraft, police register case
Police have found that the villagers suspected the couple of indulging in witchcraft, causing misfortune and illnesses in the place. The police have started a probe to identify and arrest all the perpetrators.
New Delhi: In a heinous incident, a group of villagers in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district has allegedly beaten up a couple with sharp weapons and burnt them alive. According to the police, the accused suspected that the couple was practising witchcraft. The deceased are Gardi Birowa (43) and his wife, Mira Birowa (33).
How did the incident take place?
The gruesome incident took place on Tuesday evening at Beloguri Munda village of the district. The police were informed at around 9 pm about the incident. Karbi Anglong senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pushpraj Singh said, "Almost the entire village came together to carry out the act, and nobody informed the police. As per our initial investigation, the husband and wife were first beaten and later set ablaze. We could not even recover their bones."
He added, "The miscreants initially assaulted the couple inside their house. After that, the house was burnt down, and the couple died in the fire."
The suspicion of witchcraft
Police have found that the villagers suspected the couple of indulging in witchcraft, causing misfortune and illnesses in the place. The police have started a probe to identify and arrest all the perpetrators. They have registered a suo motu case under the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
However, the police lack any video evidence, "as the entire village attempted to conceal the incident," and they are questioning the villagers to understand the chain of events. This is not the first witch-hunt in Karbi Anglong, and such incidents have taken place in the area that is mostly rural and forested.