GUWAHATI
A couple accused of practising witchcraft was burnt alive by a group of villagers in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday (December 30, 2025) night, police said.
The deceased were identified as 43-year-old Gardi Birowa and Mira Birowa, 33, of No. 1 Beloguri Munda village in the district’s Howraghat area.
A district police officer said the assailants set the couple’s house on fire after injuring them with sharp weapons inside.
“We have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those involved in the crime, likely an outcome of deep-rooted superstitions,” a senior police official said after visiting the site on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) morning.
Locals said the victims were accused of bringing misfortune upon the village by practising witchcraft.
Assam has been grappling with the witch-hunting issue for decades. Police said witchcraft-related violence is punishable under the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention, and Protection) Act of 2015, apart from relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Official records show at least 160 people were killed in witch-hunting incidents across Assam between 2001 and 2019. Most of these incidents were recorded in Chirang, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Udalguri and Sonitpur districts.
Published – December 31, 2025 04:15 pm IST
