Dibrugarh: Police arrested eighteen persons, including four women, on Friday in connection with the killing of a couple on suspicion of practising witchcraft on December 30 in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
The couple were beaten and burnt alive on December 30, 2025, by a group of villagers.
The incident took place at Beloguri Munda village in the Howraghat area of the district, where the victims were allegedly targeted by a group of villagers driven by superstition.
“We have identified the accused and arrested 18 persons so far. Further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses,” said Karbi Anglong SSP Pushpraj Singh.
“Relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 103 (murder), have also been invoked,” Singh said.
Following the incident, police registered a suo motu case under the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, which classifies witch-hunting as a cognisable and non-bailable offence.
According to investigators, the victims were accused by villagers of practising witchcraft and being responsible for illnesses and misfortunes in the area.
The couple were allegedly attacked inside their home before being set on fire, leading to their deaths.
Despite the existence of stringent legislation, witch-hunting continues to remain prevalent in society.
The Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, 2015, makes any offence under the law non-bailable, cognisable and non-compoundable, with the objective of eliminating superstition from society.
“In most witch-hunting cases, we have found that killings carried out in the name of witch-hunting are linked to property-related disputes, land grabbing and old rivalries. Witch-hunting has been prevalent among tribal societies, but after sustained awareness programmes in village areas, such cases have declined,” said a social activist.
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