Couple beaten, burnt alive over witchcraft suspicion in Assam; case registered: Police
According to the police, the assailants entered the couple’s house and attacked them with sharp weapons before setting the house on fire.
A couple in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district was allegedly beaten with sharp weapons and burnt alive by a group of villagers on suspicion of them practising witchcraft, the police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at Beloguri Munda village in the Howraghat area of the district, and the police received information about the incident around 9pm.
“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,” Karbi Anglong senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pushpraj Singh said.
According to the police, the assailants entered the couple’s house and attacked them with sharp weapons before setting the house on fire, resulting in the deaths of both victims.
“The miscreants initially assaulted the couple inside their house. After that, the house was burnt down and the couple died in the fire,” the SSP added.
The deceased have been identified as Gardi Birowa (43) and his wife Mira Birowa (33).
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the villagers suspected the couple of practising witchcraft and believed they were responsible for misfortune and illnesses in the surrounding area.
Senior police officers and civil administration officials visited the village on Wednesday and initiated a probe to identify and arrest all those involved in the crime.
Singh said a suo motu case has been registered under the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, under which witch-hunting is a cognisable and non-bailable offence in the state. Relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have also been added.
He said the investigation is underway and raids are being conducted to trace the accused. “We are identifying the people involved in this incident, and multiple arrests are likely. However, we do not have any video evidence, as the entire village attempted to conceal the incident,” he said.
Police said villagers are being questioned to ascertain the sequence of events and determine the role of each individual involved.
Karbi Anglong, a predominantly rural and forested district, has witnessed sporadic cases of witch-hunts in the past despite the enactment of stringent laws by the Assam government to curb such practices.
Police said the incident highlights the deep-rooted superstition prevailing in some interior parts of the district.
“The area is still under the grip of superstition. People continue to believe in rumours, which leads to immense suffering and tragic outcomes like this,” an official involved in the investigation said.
District administration officials said awareness measures would be strengthened in the area to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
