Woman branded as 'witch', thrashed

Tezpur (Assam), Aug 17: A 59-year-old woman was severely beaten up allegedly by four persons who accused her of practising witchcraft at no. 2 Ramnathpur village in Sonitpur district.

The woman was beaten up when she was alone in her house on Saturday and was found by the villagers in an unconscious state near her house, Superintendent of Police Sanjukta Parashar said.

The woman was admitted to Tezpur Medical College Hospital where she is recovering, Parashar said.

One of the accused Ajoy Orang named by the woman as her attacker was arrested and search was on for three other persons named by her belonging to the same village, the SP said.

Earlier on July 20, a woman was beheaded by some people who branded her a witch at Vimajuli in the same district where 16 persons were arrested in this connection.

In another incident on May 28, a five-year-old child was beheaded on Kali Puja in line No-8 in Torajuli Tea Estate near Rangapara town in the same district.

PTI