Witch-hunting is a cognizable and non-bailable offence. (Representational)
A 45-year-old Adivasi woman was killed by a mob who suspected her of practicing witchcraft in Assam. The police suspect the woman - identified as Anjali Murmu, a resident of Mohanpur village in Kokrajhar district - was first killed and then her body was hanged from a tree.
"We have sent the body for a post mortem. We suspect that the woman was killed, and after that, her body was hanged from a tree," said a police official.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the woman. They have been identified as Sunil Murdi (16), Sapna Hembram (16), and Prabinson Kisku(30), all belonging to Mohanpur village.
"We have arrested three of the accused in connection with the murder of the woman. We are searching for another one who is also involved in the murder. We have identified the person as Chaikal Hembram," the official said.
Witch-hunting is a cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable offence, as per the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015. The law has provisions of jail-term up to life imprisonment.
"Even after having such a stringent law against witch-hunting, it is still prevalent in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) region of Assam. Every year innocent people are killed in the name of witch-hunting in Assam," said a social activist.
According to the law, no person shall identify, call, stigmatise, defame or accuse any other person as witch by words, signs, indications, conduct, action or any other manner or instigate, aid or abet such an act or commit witch-hunting.
Members of the Adivasi community are not categorised under 'tribals' in Assam.