Karbi Anglong (Assam) [India], December 31 : According to the initial information, "all the villagers were involved" in the brutal killing of a couple on suspicion of witchcraft in Beluguri Munda village here, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Partha Pratim Saikia said on Wednesday.
He said such cases occur in remote areas due to lack of awareness and education.
ASP Saikia's remarks came after a couple was allegedly killed by a group of villagers over suspicions of witchcraft in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on the night of December 30 in Beluguri Munda village near Howraghat in the hilly Karbi Anglong district. The deceased have been identified as Gardi Birua (43) and his wife Mira Birua (33).
Speaking to ANI, ASP Saikia said, "We got some information yesterday late at night that there was a couple, Mira Birua and Gardi Birua, in Beluguri Munda village near Howraghat. The villagers beat them on the suspicion of witchcraft and burnt them alive... The investigation is continued... The FSL team is here... Initital information is that all the villagers were involved in this... This happens in remote areas due to a lack of awareness and education..."
Earlier, police said a group of villagers attacked the couple and allegedly burnt them to death after accusing them of practising witchcraft.
Speaking to ANI, Pushpraj Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Karbi Anglong, said it appeared to be a case of witch-hunting. "It is a witch-hunting case, and it appears that they attacked and allegedly burned them to death," he said.
He further added that the police have launched operations to apprehend the culprits.
A senior police official said that at around 8:25 pm on December 30, the police received information over the phone that a couple had allegedly been killed by villagers on suspicion of witch-hunting at 1 No. Beloguri Munda Gaon under the Howraghat police station.
He further said that during the inspection of the place of occurrence, the items were seized: soil mixed with blood samples, one wooden stick, and one plastic Gamla containing liquid cow dung, suspected to have been used to wipe out bloodstains from the place of occurrence.
Police personnel have been deployed to the scene to secure the crime scene, and further legal action has been initiated.
Earlier, on May 6 this year, the Assam government notified the Assam State Policy to Combat Human Trafficking and End Witch-Hunting.