Witch Hunt: Seven among three accused arrested for killing woman on suspicion of practicing witchcraft from Sidhai, West Tripura

Three persons among seven were arrested for allegedly killing a 51-year-old tribal woman on suspicion of practicing witchcraft at a village under West Tripura district so far.

After receiving information that Nandarani Debbarma, an accused of practising sorcery, went missing at Abhicharan village under the Sidhai Police Station, a team carried out a special operation in the locality and Police recently exhumed the body of a 51-year-old woman, and subsequently lodged a case of murder at the Sidhai police station in West Tripura district.

Sources said the woman was purportedly killed on suspicion of practising witchcraft earlier this week.

The police have booked three locals under Sections 103(1), 61(2), 351(3), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

 Police sources added that the case was lodged on October 28. Investigation is on to trace the accused persons.

According to a preliminary investigation, a few locals felt that "two families in the village were suffering from illness because of Nandarani's black magic.

Under the influence of that perception, a group of people stormed into the house of Nandarani on October 26 and lynched her. To ensure her death, the villagers tied her body to a window. Later, her body was buried in a jungle to suppress the evidence, said police.

The arrested persons are being interrogated, and the investigation is underway, police added.

In 2023, a woman was beaten to death by her in-laws in Khowai district, for allegedly practising witchcraft.