18 arrested in the brutal murder of a couple by branding them as 'witches' in Assam (symbolic picture)
PTI, Karbi Anglong. The barbaric mentality of superstition once again trampled humanity in Assam. In Beloguri Munda village of Karbi Anglong district, a mob of villagers surrounded a husband and wife and brutally killed them on suspicion of witchcraft and after the murder, burnt their bodies in front of their house. Police have so far arrested 18 accused, including four women, in this heart-wrenching case.
According to the police, on the night of December 30, information was received that 46-year-old Gardi Beruwa and his wife Meera Beruwa were targeted by the villagers calling them 'witches'. Police reached the spot and found the house broken and the remains of a burning fire in the courtyard.
Investigation revealed that after the murder, both the bodies were burnt with the intention of destroying the evidence. IGP Akhilesh Kumar Singh said that this is a heinous crime and the culprits will not be spared under any circumstances.
He said that the case is being investigated scientifically and just as the culprits were given life imprisonment in the Sivasagar case, strict action will be taken here too.
Police have seized blood-stained soil, a wooden stick and cow dung solution from the crime scene, which were used to destroy evidence. A case has been registered under the Assam Anti-Witch Act and relevant sections of the Indian Justice Code.