Nine arrested for branding Indian athlete a witch

22 October 2014 - 16:51 By Sapa-dpa
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Handcuffs. File photo.
Handcuffs. File photo.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

Nine people have been arrested for allegedly branding an Indian national-level athlete a witch and assaulting her, police said Wednesday.

Javelin thrower Debajani Bora, a winner of several gold medals in domestic competitions, was attacked on October 15 by residents of Cherekili village in the north-eastern state of Assam.

Prayers were being held at a community hall in the village when some residents pointed to Bora and claimed she was a witch. They blamed her for a series of deaths in the village, district police chief Mughdajyoti Dev Mahanta said.

Bora was tied up and attacked by the villagers until her family members rescued her and took her to hospital. She suffered injuries on her shoulders and chest, police said.

Bora is a mother of three and makes a living as a farm worker in a remote Assam district.

A few people, including the head of the community prayer hall, were arrested a day after the incident while others were taken into custody later on the basis of a complaint by Bora's husband.

There were seven women aged above 45 among those arrested, who face charges of criminal conspiracy, Mahanta said.

India has no specific law against witch hunting, which is not uncommon in eastern and north-eastern India.

At least 2,100 people, mostly women, were murdered between 2000 and 2012 for allegedly practising witchcraft, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

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