Tezpur (Assam): The country has come a long way in terms of development and progress but in a contrasting scenario the shocking trend of superstition continues in some areas. In Assam, a killing of a woman on the suspicion of being a witch in Sonitpur district on Sunday night left a grievous concern. And within a day another witch hunt took place in the district again and has raised serious questions about the civilisation.
In a shocking incident, the villagers vandalized the house of a elderly couple on the suspicion of being a witchcraft in Sonitpur's Nine Mile area on the Assam-Arunachal border, sources said. According to the details of the incident, in Chatai Nine Mile village on the Assam-Arunachal border, the people of the village ransacked the family's house and cut down all the trees of their yard by accusing a couple above sixty of witchcraft.
Without stopping there, the people even chased the family out of the village, said sources. It is to be noted that the couple had been living in the area after purchasing land for the last five years. Sources said that the financially poor family was somehow earning their livelihood by working as daily wagers. On Monday morning, a man named Vaishtha Basumatary called the villagers and forced the couple to accept them as witches, local sources said.
Sources said that the people of the village destroyed the house and the belongings of the house by throwing them on the roadside. The villagers then chased the couple out of the village. Eventually helpless, the poor family reached Chariduar police station seeking help. Police immediately assured the family and advised them to stay at their relatives' house. Police are currently investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, a woman was allegedly brutally murdered on suspicion of being a witch at her bansbari near Tezpur on Sunday night. The woman was set ablaze alive in front of her two minor children as per sources. Around 10pm on Sunday, a woman named Sangeeta Kati was beaten up by one Suraj Baghwar with the help of four teammates and set her on fire. Following the incident, Sonitpur police arrested four persons and is on the hunt for the other two.
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