Villagers assault four people on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Assam’s Sonitpur, 8 arrested

Sonitpur (Assam) [India], April 19 (ANI): In a shocking incident, a group of villagers of a remote village in Assam’s Sonitpur district along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border physically tortured four fellow villagers and branded them as practising witchcraft, police said on Tuesday.

However, the police rescued all four victims including a woman from the clutches of the villager group and arrested eight persons in connection with this.
The incident took place at Anthaibari and Disabari area under Biswanath police station along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

A case was registered at Biswanath Chariali police station in connection with the incident.

S Hajowary, Officer-in-Charge of Biswanath Chariali police station said that, on April 16, he received information that, some local villagers of Anthaibari and Disabari area along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border physically tortured other fellow villagers.

“I immediately asked the police of Balisang police outpost to investigate the matter. A police team immediately reached the spot and rescued four persons. Some people in the area were suffering from some ailments for the last couple of days and the local villagers went to a local woman named Anjali Swargiary who is also a priest to take suggestions,” the police said.

“She told the villagers that, some people of the area are practising witchcraft and for that reason, the villagers are suffering ailments and suggested the villagers to take stern action against them. The local villagers took up four people from the Disabari area and beat them. Later, our team rescued the victims and admitted them to the hospital,” S Hajowary added.

He further said that the police on Monday night arrested eight persons including women for their involvement in the case and registered a case.

The arrested persons were identified as Anjali Swargiary, Dipen Basumatary, Budhiram Basumatary, Sukur Basumatary, Ranjan Basumatary, Baloram Basumatary, Shiva Boro and Bijay Narzary.

The police officer further said that the police will take action against the culprits as per law.