Indian Woman Beheaded For Witchcraft, As Police Arrest Seven, Says It Must Stop

A 63-year-old Indian woman, Purni Orang has been accused of practising witchcraft and beheaded.. She was stripped naked and later beheaded by villagers in the state of Assam, according to police authorities. Seven people, including two women, have been arrested over her killing.

Police in Assam say nearly 90 people, mostly women, have been beheaded, burnt alive or stabbed to death after such accusations in the last six years.

"Branding women as witches is particularly prevalent among tribal communities and tea plantation workers in the state. People in a village in Sonitpur district were falling sick, and some of them blamed Purni Orang for their condition. After that they branded her a witch and killed her, Mr Hussain, a police official said in anger.

In October, an Indian athlete Debjani Bora was also severely beaten after being branded a witch in Assam. Experts however say superstitious beliefs are behind some of these attacks, but there are occasions when people, especially widows are targeted for their land and property.