Witch-hunters’ playground? Why Assam’s Karbi Anglong district carries a dark legacy

No. 1 Belguri Mundagaon, a small village in central

Assam

’s Karbi Anglong district with a population of just 180 people, mostly Adivasis, now stands eerily quiet. This otherwise nondescript settlement recently hogged headlines for a horrific act carried out by a group of villagers.
On December 30, a couple – Gardi Beruwa (43) and his wife Mira (33) – were attacked with iron rods and set on fire by an angry mob, who suspected them of practising “witchcraft”. In response, police arrested 20 individuals, including an 18-year-old. Of the arrested, at least 14 have been sent to judicial custody.