Two lynched, beheaded and set on fire in India over witchcraft accusation

Teenager had accused man and woman of causing her illness with ‘black magic’ before she died

A general view of part of Karbi Anglong, in Assam state, India, where two people accused of witchcraft were killed. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Two people accused of practising witchcraft have reportedly been beheaded and set on fire in India.  

Villagers blamed the man and woman for causing the death of a teenage girl and the illness of another by using “black magic”, according to the Times of India.  

A mob allegedly attacked the victims in the remote village of Rohimapur, in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, after the first teenager claimed they were responsible for her illness the day before her death.  

Another girl then reportedly came forward and also accused the pair of making her ill by performing “black magic” on her.  

The victims – said to be a 50-year-old widow and a 28-year-old man – were allegedly lynched by villagers who took their bodies to a hill near the teenager’s grave, where they were beheaded and set alight.  

Nine people have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident and weapons have been seized, while police continue to hunt for remaining suspects.  

Debojit Deuri, superintendent of Karbi Anglong police, said the murders happened on Wednesday night but were reported by locals the following day.  

He told the Indian Today: "We have recovered some remains of the bodies and the weapons used to kill the persons.  

“We have arrested nine persons so far and launched operations to nab other persons who were involved in the incident. The arrested persons have confessed the crime.”