A couple was allegedly beaten with sharp weapons and burnt alive by a group of villagers on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday evening, triggering shock and outrage.
The deceased have been identified as Gardi Birowa (43) and his wife Mira Birowa (33).
According to police and local sources, the incident occurred at Beloguri Munda village under the Howraghat area of the district. Police said they received information about the gruesome crime at around 9 pm, hours after the incident took place.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Karbi Anglong, Pushpraj Singh, said the attack appeared to have been carried out collectively by the villagers. “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,” the SSP said.
According to the police, a group of assailants allegedly entered the couple’s house, attacked them with sharp weapons, and subsequently set the house on fire, resulting in the deaths of both victims. The intensity of the fire was such that no skeletal remains could be recovered from the spot.
A suo motu case has been registered under the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015, 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 to the case.
Karbi Anglong, a predominantly rural and forested district, has witnessed sporadic cases of witch-hunting in the past, despite the enactment of stringent laws by the Assam government to curb such practices. Authorities have repeatedly flagged superstition, lack of awareness, and social ostracisation as key factors behind such crimes.
Despite the presence of the stringent Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015, witch-hunting continues to be reported from different parts of the state, particularly in remote and marginalised communities.
“It is a very unfortunate incident and we strongly condemn such acts. Due to illiteracy, superstition and disbelief, such incidents are prevalent in the Adivasi community. We are organising awareness programmes among the people,” said a leader of the All Adivasi Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA).
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the villagers suspected the couple of practising witchcraft and believed they were responsible for misfortune and illnesses in the surrounding area. Police said further investigation is underway to identify and arrest all those involved in the crime.
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