Guwahati: In a landmark judgement, a district court in Assam has awarded life imprisonment to 23 people, including 11 women, for their involvement in a witch hunting case that came to light 13 years ago.
The convicts were also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 each.
The district sessions court at Charaideo district in Assam pronounced the verdict on Monday after the final hearing. While 23 convicts of the case were awarded life imprisonment, the court asked the government to pay compensation of Rs. 8 lakh to the victim’s family.
“The incident took place on February 9, 2012 when one Phuleswari Halowa lost her life in a mob attack. Gripped by superstition of her being a "witch", the mob came to the house of Phuleswari on the evening of February 9, 2012 and took her to the bank of the river. The mob tied her to a tree and brutally tortured her during the night branding her as a witch and finally setting her ablaze,” said advocate Mayur Baruah.
“It was a brutal killing,” he said, adding that although the victim’s son Jugen Halowa tried to save his mother by requesting the mob, none listened to him or showed any mercy.
Based on an FIR filed by Jugen Halowa the next day, police started the investigation and arrested 35 people for their involvement in the crime. The case was registered under Sections 302 and 32 of the IPC. The police later filed a chargesheet against 25 of the accused.
While life imprisonment was awarded to 23, one of the accused, the village head, died during the trial period. The Village Defence Party (VDP) secretary was slapped a fine of Rs 3,000. The allegation against the VDP secretary was that he did not do anything to save the women despite being informed by the family members of the victim.
“Judge of the Charaideo District Sessions Court, Justice Abubakkar Siddiqui, on Monday took up the case for the final hearing and pronounced the verdict,” said Baruah while quoting the court order.
The verdict of the Charaideo Sessions court came at a time when the BJP- led government in Assam had notified a state policy on combating human trafficking and witch-hunting last week. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma last week termed the notification of the state policy as a significant move to safeguard human rights and dignity.
While the new policy makes the Women and Child Welfare Department as the nodal wing for implementing the policy, other departments will act as stakeholders to stop the crime. Among other provisions, the new policy mandates setting up of committees at state, district and gram panchayat levels to ensure more vigil to stop crimes such as witch-hunting.
