In a shocking incident highlighting the grim persistence of superstition, police in Assam have arrested twenty individuals, including a teenager who claims to be the incarnation of goddess Durga, for the brutal murder of a couple accused of practising witchcraft. The arrests were made in the Karbi Anglong district following the horrific killing on December 30.
The Gruesome Attack and Immediate Aftermath
The victims, identified as 43-year-old Gardi Beruwa and his 33-year-old wife Mira, were assaulted with iron rods before being burned alive in their own courtyard in No 1 Belguri Mundagaon village. According to police, the mob, allegedly acting on the instructions of the 18-year-old girl, set the couple on fire. By the time law enforcement reached the remote Adivasi village, only ashes remained at the scene.
Most of the village's approximately 180 residents fled after police launched an investigation, leaving the settlement nearly deserted. A total of 20 people, including four women, were apprehended within 24 hours of the probe intensifying.
Interrogations and Legal Action Underway
Six of the arrested, including the teenage girl, were interrogated in police custody on Saturday. A special court in Karbi Anglong had sent the remaining fourteen to judicial custody on Friday evening. The accused face charges under multiple sections, including murder, criminal conspiracy, arson, and the stringent Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act of 2015.
Assam IGP (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh strongly condemned the atrocity, stating that such acts based on mere suspicion cannot be tolerated in modern society. He confirmed that police are pursuing more arrests based on evidence.
Villagers' Chilling Confessions and Beliefs
In disturbing revelations to the media, several villagers admitted to the killing as a collective decision and expressed no regret. They blamed the couple for causing harm through "evil practices," alleging that diseases and ominous activities plagued the village.
One woman described the sequence of events: "Durga Maa and villagers first took them to the temple, and then they were beaten on the road. Durga Maa was not allowing us to kill them there. Then the couple was brought to their home. The public set them on fire while they were alive."
The central figure in the incident is the teenage girl whom villagers believed was possessed by goddess Durga after Diwali. It was she who allegedly accused the couple of witchcraft, instructing the villagers to act against them. Another villager claimed they could feel sinister forces and were unable to sleep at night, attributing their misfortunes to the couple.
This tragic case underscores the deadly consequences of deep-rooted superstition and the urgent need for continued enforcement of anti-witch hunting laws alongside community education in vulnerable regions.
