A court in Assam’s Charaideo district has handed down life sentences to 23 people for the brutal murder of a woman who was accused of practicing witchcraft in 2012, bringing closure to a case that has spanned 13 years.
District and Sessions Judge Abubakkar Siddique delivered the verdict on Monday, convicting 12 men and 11 women for their involvement in the horrific crime that shocked the state and drew attention to the persistent issue of witch-hunting in parts of India. In addition to the life terms, each convict has been fined ₹5,000.
The court also ordered the convicts to collectively pay ₹8 lakh in compensation to the victim’s family, acknowledging the irreparable loss suffered by the relatives of the deceased.
According to police reports, the crime occurred in Jalha village of Charaideo district, where the victim was subjected to extreme physical torture before being set ablaze by a mob that had accused her of practicing witchcraft. The gruesome nature of the killing had sparked widespread outrage across the state and drew attention to the social evil of witch-hunting that continues to plague certain rural areas.
The conclusion of this long-running trial marks a significant moment in Assam’s legal battle against witch-hunting, a practice that has claimed numerous lives in the state despite legislative efforts to combat it. In 2015, Assam passed the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Act, which criminalizes witch-hunting and provides for severe punishments for those found guilty of such crimes.
The 13-year journey to justice in this case highlights both the challenges in prosecuting witch-hunting cases and the determination of the legal system to hold perpetrators accountable, regardless of the time required to secure convictions.
