18 arrested in Karbi Anglong witch-hunting horror, couple burnt alive

In a major breakthrough in the gruesome witch-hunting case in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, police have arrested 18 suspects in connection with the lynching and burning alive of a couple at No. 1 Belguri Munda village. 

The arrests were confirmed by Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Akhilesh Kumar Singh on January 2.

Senior police officials, including IGP Akhilesh Kumar Singh and Karbi Anglong Senior Superintendent of Police Pushpraj Singh, visited the village on Friday to assess the situation and oversee the investigation into the brutal crime that has sent shockwaves across the state.

Addressing the media, IGP Singh described the incident as “a barbaric act driven by blind faith,” and said law enforcement agencies were determined to ensure strict punishment for all those involved. “We have already apprehended 18 suspects, and a thorough investigation is underway to ensure that every perpetrator is brought to justice and faces the highest degree of legal punishment,” he said.

The police investigation remains active, with authorities continuing efforts to identify and arrest any remaining instigators who may have played a role in the crime.

The incident occurred on Friday when a mob lynched a couple, identified as Gardi Birua and Mira Birua, residents of No. 1 Belguri Munda village under the jurisdiction of Howraghat Police Station. According to local reports, the killings were triggered by deep-rooted superstition and the influence of a self-styled local oracle, a so-called “godwoman” who claimed to be possessed by ‘Ma Durga’ and accused the couple of causing illnesses in the village.

Acting on these allegations, a group of villagers armed with sticks and iron rods attacked the couple. Eyewitness accounts describe a horrifying sequence of events in which the victims were brutally beaten and hacked before being thrown into a fire while still alive. Witnesses further stated that the couple attempted to crawl out of the flames, pleading for water and mercy, but were pushed back into the fire by the attackers until they died within their own residential premises.

The incident has once again exposed the deadly consequences of superstition, particularly in remote and impoverished areas. Local observers noted that extreme poverty and low literacy levels in the village made residents vulnerable to manipulation by the self-proclaimed “godwoman,” despite living in an age marked by scientific and technological advancement.

Authorities have reiterated that such acts of violence rooted in superstition will be dealt with firmly, while also stressing the need for sustained awareness and education to prevent similar tragedies in the future.